


Hajime's Hero Academia

by MyLordAndSaviorIzuruKamukura



Series: Hajime's Hero Academia [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:48:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22904245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLordAndSaviorIzuruKamukura/pseuds/MyLordAndSaviorIzuruKamukura
Summary: In a world of superpwowered, quirky people, Hajime Hinata stands out for being one of the few without a 'Quirk.' Despite the hardships, Hajime enrolls in Hope's Peak Academy, the greatest hero school in all of Japan. But, when the stakes rise, will Hajime be able to make it in this world?
Series: Hajime's Hero Academia [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1646326
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

The world is a superhero society, with about 80 percent of the world having supernatural 'Quirks.' The job everyone dreamed of was finally a reality: superheroes.

With the rise of heroes came the rise of supervillians. It is the job of the heroes to maintain the peace in the world.

I was born Quirkless. From a young age, I had to learn the cruel nature of life. But believe it or not, this is the story of how a person like me became a hero.

☆☆

"What is this..." I asked, exasperated. I stared up at the humongous doors, feeling my knees bend and my body shrink up.

I had already lost hope. Here I was, a Quirkless boy about to take the practical exam for Hope's Peak; one of the most prestigious hero schools in the nation. This was the school of my dreams. My idol, the Ultimate Hope, had attended this school.

I jumped when I felt a slap on my back. "C'mon, Hajime!" My long-time friend, Kazuichi Souda, assured me in his squeaky voice. "Even if you don't get into the Hero Course, you're smart enough to make it into General Studies."

I grunted in return. "Shut up."

General Studies wasn't good enough. What's the point of coming to this school if I'm not in the Hero Course? I understood that Kazuichi was trying to cheer me up, but his comment only made me even more doubtful.

I shifted my focus to the other students. Many of them are showing off their Quirks. I'm jealous, but in awe of all of these talented people.

Then, I saw her.

A Few Hours Ago...

I stare up at the glorious building that is Hope's Peak. Just staring at it takes my breath away. I'm not even paying attention to where I'm going, as I feel myself begin to fall.

But I don't. I'm surprised to find myself leaning on...Pacman?! Right in front of me is a large, yellow, pixelated Pacman. I can't help but rub my eyes, though I know I'm not imagining it.

A girl stops in her tracks next to me. She doesn't look at me, heavily absorbed in a video game. I can hear a familiar nomming noise emitting from the speaker. She's playing Pacman. "...Sorry to interfere..." she says finally. "...I just didn't want to see you fall. That would be unlucky...on the day of exams..." the girl still doesn't look at me.

"No, I'm glad you did," I tell her, standing up straight. I open my mouth to speak again, but the girl already starts walking again.

"Oh. Um," I mumble, then call out to her. "I hope to see you around!"

☆☆☆

"Hajime?" A familiar voice broke down my train of thought. "Hajime!" Kazuichi called again, shaking my shoulder.

I shook my head, clearing my head, and look at my friend. "What?" I asked, almost annoyed.

"Stop staring off into space," he told me. "It's about to start!" As he spoke, Kazuichi leaned forward, getting into a racing position.

Everyone else does the same. Making final preparations. I froze in fear. Reality finally hit me like a punch in the gut. I'm really doing this. I, Hajime Hinata, am going into a superhero exam, without a superpower. I'm such an idiot!

But there's no time to back out, even if I wanted to. The final announcements must've gone though one ear and out the other. Same with the gun signaling the start of the exam. All I saw was a cloud of dust and an empty platform. "Even you, Kazuichi?" I mumbled, disappointed to see that even my friend left me. I halfheartedly jogged into the exam area.

Inside was a model city. Already, I could see faux robotic 'villains' being blasted to pieces by students. The point of the exam was to destroy the villains. Each villain had a point number painted on its side. The goal was to get the most points.

I frantically began my search for a simple villain to-hopefully-beat up. But, before I could, I suddenly felt completely disassociated with my body. That is, I felt like I had lost all control. I found myself taking painfully slow steps toward a menacing villain. No, no, not this one! I can't take on this one! But my feet didn't listen. I kept walking against my will. I couldn't even force myself to blink, and I could feel my eyes getting irritated and watery.

The faux villain finally noticed me. My feet finally stopped as I was forced to watch this robotic creature claw it's way toward me, crab-like claws pinching at the air in my direction.

Luckily, someone came to my rescue. This new person blindly attacked the villain until it fell. As soon as it did, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground. I grabbed at the collar of my shirt, and breathed a sigh of relief. I was back in control.

"Nishishishi~" A strange cackle sounded from behind me. As I stood back up, I turned to watch some purple-haired gremlin saunter past. His arms rested behind his head, and there was a bounce in his step, like he didn't have a care in the world. "Thanks for being my bait!"

"Bait?" I repeated as I realized what had happened. "Did-did you do that to me?!" I questioned angrily.

The boy didn't answer me. He instead focused on the student who had saved me, wordlessly giving him orders, or, at least, that’s what I assumed he was doing.

What kind of Quirk was that?! I practically shake in my metaphorical boots as I glare at that kid some more, still getting used to having control over my body again. We had only just started, and I already felt unsafe, because of the students like him.

Whirrrrrrrrrr.

I heard a mechanical whirring sound approaching behind me. I turned my head. Oh God, he really did it.

Kazuichi has had these stupid attachments on his shoes since middle school. They might as well be little fans attached to the bottoms of his shoes, making him hover. Sounds cool, until you realize that Kazuichi can't control the shoes well, which leaves him teetering from side to side like an idiot.

Kazuichi nyoomed past me, trying his best to look cool. He made a beeline toward the faux villain that the purple gremlin had victimized. Kazuichi smacked it's side with his palm and zoomed away.

A spark had ignited from within the mechanical beast. I could see the gears trying to move beneath heavy gashes in it’s body. But, the villain didn't really need those gears anymore. It still rose from it's mangled position, like a broken doll, and scampered toward Kazuichi.

Kazuichi's Quirk was called Mechanic. He can basically revive broken mechanical objects just by touching them with his hand. His Quirk takes a lot of brainpower, and each contraption he touches has a 20% chance of becoming a vengeful, sentient, killing machine.

This exam was definitely built for people like him. Kazuichi was going hog wild on those bots, slapping everything he could. I began to step back. Kazuichi wasn't being as careful as he should be. With all of the faux villains he was bringing to life, it was only a matter of time before-

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwawwrrrrrrr!" The newest grotesque villain had a roar that shook the ground so much I was swept off my feet.

Chaos quickly enveloped this specific area of the mock city. As if the battles hadn't been enough, there was now a stampede of students rushing passed me in an attempt to get away from the danger bot Kazuichi had unwittingly created. Through a window between the bodies, I spotted Kazuichi faint. Oh great. He was within the line of sight of the faux villain.

Without hesitation, I floundered my way through the crowd to get to my friend. As I grabbed his arm, I grunted. "Nice going, Kazuichi. You overworked yourself again." Supporting his weight with my shoulder, I attempted to drag him to safety.

I paused abruptly. Staring down at me was the flickering red eye of the AWOL villain. It frequently shuddered, making it look like it was breathing. I could practically sense it's intense hatred. It's red eye flickered at us menacingly.

I just stood there, like a deer in headlights. I could feel my breathing completely stop, and I feared my legs would give out. My face flushed with heat and sweat. Kazuichi grew heavier with each passing second.

Ow. Ow! I pressed my eyes shut as a light blinded me. With my free hand, I rubbed my eyes and glared around. There! In the crumbling ruins of a nearby building, two boys sneakily waved me over.

I dragged Kazuichi to them as quickly as I could, relief giving me extra adrenaline. As I escaped, a few daring (or stupid) students rushed over and began attacking the fake villain. I watched a guy with purple spiky hair float high above me and sucker punch the faux villain right in the face with a triumphant shout.

I slumped down next to the strangers, leaving Kazuichi to flop onto the ground like a dead fish.

The two boys stared at me intently. They both had a certain...look to them. "What do you guys want?" I asked gruffly, still waiting for my breathing to return to normal.

The boys shared a knowing glance. The one wearing a black hat spoke first. "You're Quirkless, aren't you?" He asked.

My muscles tensed up at the question. "So what?" I inquired in an annoyed voice. "How do you know that? Who even are you two?!" I clenched my fists tightly. I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms.

"Please calm down," the other boy pleaded. "We just want your help."

"How can I calm down?!" I snapped suddenly. My voice was so harsh I even surprised myself, but now that my lips were moving, it seemed as if I wasn't about to stop there. "I'm a Quirkless boy, forced to be bait for stupid robots, now hiding from a berserk killer bot that my unconsious friend made, and you two aren't even answering my questions!"

The boys didn't speak for a solid minute. The one with the hat finally cleared his throat. "Ah...sorry..." he began. "I'm Shuichi Saihara. Though it's not that grand, my Quirk is my heightened intelligence." As he spoke, Saihara never looked at me. Instead, he looked at Kazuichi, or at the killer robot that still ran amuck.

"And I'm Makoto Naegi!" The other boy piped up cheerfully, giving me a hopeful smile. Everything about this guy radiated optimism. It was almost sickening. "I light up just like a lightbulb!" He explained. "The power of my light depends on the emotions of others!"

"Nice to meet you both," I told them warily. "Now what do you guys want with me? You said you wanted help. Do you just want me to distract the robot again while you two show off your Quirks and defeat it?" I asked accusingly.

Naegi shook his head quickly. "No, no, not at all!" He chuckled as he reassured me. "With this atmosphere, there’s not much we can do against it."

"...that's why we need you," Saihara interrupted. "We would like your help defeating that." He pointed to the killer villain.

"Defeat that?!" I replied incredulously. "How do you expect me to do that?! I can't do anything!"

"But that's the point!" Naegi told me. "You're probably the only one that can do anything! Saihara explained it to me!" He nudged Saihara's shoulder, gesturing for him to explain himself once more.

"Did you notice how the berserk faux villain never tried to attack you?" Saihara asked me. "I predict it may be because you are Quirkless. That thing...it seemed to hesitate when it saw you. It may have been programmed to not target those who are unable to defend themselves."

"Oh, gee, thanks," I grumble sarcastically.

"Oh, sorry," Saihara mumbled shyly, still not looking at me. "But...I still think it's worth a try."

I crossed my arms and leaned against a piece of collapsed wall, pondering what these two were telling me. True, I don't have much going for me. But, if I do what they ask me, maybe I can impress the faculty and get into Hope's Peak. "What do you want me to do?"

☆☆☆☆☆

I sighed as I crept behind the berserk faux villain. As I took step after tremulous step, I looked around for pieces of rubble.

The plan seemed simple enough. Saihara had told me about a weak point he had discovered in the villains. It was right smack dab in the middle of the back. I was to climb the berserk one and, I dunno, punch it or something. While I would do that, Naegi was going to try to distract the bot with his light.

I could already see the light. Naegi had climbed the stairs of a nearby building, and I could see his light from the rooftop.

It was most definitely effective. The faux villain was immobile, covering it's eye. The other students were also distracted. I couldn't help but notice the floating dude from earlier shielding his eyes as well. Good. I couldn't have anyone getting in the way.

I began my climb. I hopped onto random pieces of concrete, growing closer to the bot. Ever so carefully, I edged closer, until I finally reached the edge of my man-made ramp. Taking a deep breath, I peered forward. I saw a spot where I could jump onto the robot's spine.

'Ok, ok, this'll be fine,' I told myself. I took a minute to let my heart settle. I began overanalyzing the situation: judging the distance, imagining what would happen if I didnxt make it, and whatnot.

But I couldn't afford to hesitate. Not now. Not ever. Heroes don't hesitate. So, I jumped.

☆☆☆☆☆

I misjudged the distance. I knew it. My eyes widened in terror as I witnessed the asphalt hurting towards me. My eyes squeezed shut, my breathing stopped, my body scrunched together, and the wind whapped at my hair and clothes as I prepared for the collision.

But it never came.

I was disoriented when my face splattered against what I thought was the ground, but felt more like fabric. I was even more confused as I bounced up toward the sky.

As I soared through the air, I looked down to see a pixelated trampoline, and the girl from earlier looking up at me with pale pink eyes, giving me a small wave.

I didn't have time to wave back as I landed-or, rather, fell-onto the shattered back of the beast. I clung onto a torn piece of metal as I calculated the course I would take to reach the weak spot. There were chunks of metal missing from it, revealing gears and other parts that would likely maim or kill me should I fall in. Joy.

I carefully traversed up the bot to the weak spot. Now what?

The weak spot looked fairly unscathed. I guess no one else noticed it. Saihara's Quirk was more amazing than I thought.

I stared blankly at the weak spot until the bot shuddered beneath me. Oh, no, it caught me. The faux villain began turning away from Naegi's light, shoving me into the limelight.

I squinted as I tried to stay latched onto the bot. It tried to swing me about, but luckily my grip didn't let me down. I blindly swung at the weak spot.

☆☆☆☆☆

Crap! I cowered in this mysterious shelter as I peered at the berserk bot. I created that?!

I had overworked myself again. I should've been more careful! I knew there was a chance this would happen! I messed up, big time, and now everyone else was paying for it.

After I woke up, these two guys named Saihara and Naegi explained the situation to me. I wasn't surprised that Hajime was doing this. He never hesitated to help people. It was one of the things I admired most about him.

I now watched my childhood friend risk his life and climb this robot. Naegi's light had died out, so it was even easier to see his struggles.

I knew I couldn't do anything, but I at least knew I needed to help. Climbing out of my little hole, I whipped my head around to examine my surroundings.

I quickly noticed two useful people and came up with a plan.

"Hey!" I called out to a girl with pale pink eyes. Her Quirk seemed to have something to do with making things. "Can we use your trampoline?"

The girl nodded. "...sure..." she answered quietly.

"Awesome!" I said. Next step in progress. I approached another girl I had met earlier. "Hey, Kirumi!"

She smiled kindly when she noticed me, "Greetings, Kazuichi."

I grinned back, happy that she remembered my name. "Can you help me?"

☆☆☆☆☆

"Hajime!" I heard Kazuichi call my name as I flailed around. I looked down at my friend.

Kazuichi stood by the trampoline with a mature looking girl. When we made eye contact, he grinned. The girl clambered onto the trampoline and began jumping. Before I knew it, she was flying toward me. Unbelievably, she had morphed into a golden-clad spear.

I instinctively grabbed the spear. With a sense of newfound courage, I stabbed into the weak spot of the bot.

It let out a sharp, guttural screech as it slowly tumbled. The spear and I flew off and landed on the ground nearby.

I let out a sigh of relief. It's finally over. The exam's finally over. I repeated that thought in my head as we all congratulated each other. The girl had morphed back into her true form, and we both rested on the cool asphalt.

☆☆☆☆☆

Breathe in, breathe out. I couldn't seem to calm myself down. In my shaking hands was the letter from Hope's Peak Academy that would determine my future. I had my doubts. Did I get enough points? Was I in the Hero Course. Before, there was no other option in my mind besides the Hero Course. I hadn't realized until now that I may have failed.

Without further hesitation, I tore open the letter that would tell me what would happen next.

☆☆☆☆☆


	2. Chapter 2

☆☆☆☆☆

Inside the letter is a little pod. It rests on my desk. I'm about to pick it up and shake it, worried that it's broken, when it automatically turns on.

A hologram is projected right in front of me, and I find myself face-to-face with none other then the headmaster himself, Jin Kirigiri!

Mr. Kirigiri clears his throat. "To whoever recieves this pre-recorded message:

"Because of your exemplary performance in both the written and practical exams, Hope's Peak Academy is excited to welcome you to our school."

I practically choke on my own breath. I made it? I really made it? This must be some mistake. I'm Quirkless, there's no way I was good enough to-

The hologram flickers out, only to reappear. Instead of the standard recording, though, the screen now portrays a dark room, where I can only barely see the silhouette of a man sitting at a desk.

"Hajime Hinata," I hear Mr. Kirigiri's voice again. "Though we will accept you into our school, your situation is rather...peculiar. I'd like to have a conversation with you after school on your first day. There is much we need to discuss."

The hologram pod shuts off. I now stare at my wall blankly. There's much we need to discuss? I feel worried, but I know I will listen. There's no sure way for me to know all that he wishes to discuss, but I just can't stop thinking about it.

☆☆☆☆☆

Knockknockknockknock

Eager knocking interrupted me. I was only just getting my shoes on. Peeved, I reached for the doorknob.

"You're up early," I told Kazuichi.

Kazuichi and I first met when we were 4, when my family moved in right next door. His family was always on the poor side, so instead of giving us a normal welcome gift, Kazuichi's dad gave us a one percent share in his failing repair shop. It hasn't gone under yet, but from what Kazuichi had been telling me, it was only a matter of time.

We became friends pretty quickly. At first, it was mostly Kazuichi clinging to me on the playground, but I eventually grew used to him. Ever since middle school, we walked to school together everyday. Always.

"I'm just excited, Hajime!" Kazuichi replied enthusiastically. "C'mon! We don't wanna be late on our first day!" Kazuichi grabbed my wrist and all but yanked me out of my house. After multiple complaints, he stopped and let me pull my other shoe on. Then, we were off.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Which class are you in?" Kazuichi asked me.

"Class 1-A," I smirked. It was said that both class 1-A and 1-B were equivalent when it came to respect and power. But we all knew better. Everyone assumed that the best were in 1-A.

"Aww, lucky!" Kazuichi congratulated me with a smack on the back. "I'm in 1-C. I probably would've been placed higher if not for...y'know..." he chuckled sheepishly.

I couldn't help but laugh. Though Kazuichi had remained anonymous, stories regarding the incident at Hope's Peak Academy's practical entrance exam had spread like wildfire. It was now being referred to as the Biggest Blunder in Hope's Peak History. "Just be glad you got in at all!" I teased.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!" Kazuichi pouted, but perked up again almost immediately. "You were awesome that day, though! You were flying through the air! Like yah! Hiyah!" Kazuichi began reenacting the fight with the bot with his hands.

"It was nothing..." I mumbled, embarrassed to be seen near him. It was nothing new, at least. I was always saving Kazuichi's butt. As we passed the small woods in the park, I was reminded of the time in elementary school when Kazuichi had tried to climb the tallest tree. There was a rumor that, if you went all the way to the top, a pretty girl would kiss you on the following Friday. He made it about three quarters of the way when he got stuck and refused to move. At the time, my child brain had decided that it would be best to climb after him and try to encourage him to come down. Instead, I ended up falling out of the tree and fracturing my arm. A Pro Hero found us five minutes later and got Kazuichi down. I was in a cast for four weeks, and Kazuichi was depressed about not reaching the top.

"No, you were amazing!" Kazuichi insisted, his voice dragging me out of the memory. "You're always saving me." He drifted off. "Man, now's probably not the time to get all sentimental, but I'm really proud of us. We've accomplished so much!" His hands waved around as he spoke. "Especially you! Nobody expected you to make it to Hope's Peak!"

I shoved Kazuichi. "Ha, ha, very funny coming from the guy who got put in the new class."

Class 1-C was a new addition this year. The real reason was unknown, but the claims were that there were too many students enrolled in the Hero Course.

"Hey!" Kazuichi stumbled a bit, but managed to keep his balance. "Shut up!"

Soon enough, we were both laughing. We hadn't even noticed how close we were to the school.

☆☆☆☆☆

The atmosphere grew more bubbly as we crossed the school gate. Excited students were congregated all around the fresh, neatly kept lawn area, a buzz of inaudible conversations filling the air. I quickly noticed some familiar faces, like the floating dude with the spiky hair, and-

"Oh...Hajime, Kazuichi....it is nice to see you again."

"Oh, hey, Saihara," I greeted. Kazuichi nodded to the boy.

"If I may ask...what class are you in?" He asked shyly.

"1-A," I answered.

"C," Kazuichi piped up.

"Oh...it seems as if we are in the same class, Hajime," Saihara informed me. From the tone of his voice, I couldn't tell whether he was excited or disappointed.

"Really?" I didn't know why I was surprised. Saihara was undoubtedly amazing. Given his Quirk, the written exam was probably no problem for him, and he was the one who discovered the weak spot in the bots.

Saihara simply nodded, his eyes glued to the ground.

The three of us busied ourselves with conversation until the first bell interrupted us. "Oh...it's time..." Saihara couldn't hide his smile as he spoke.

I was beaming as well. "Yeah, seems so."

We said goodbye to Kazuichi, and began to search for our classroom.

As I followed Saihara, my thoughts returned to the letter from the headmaster. I had forgotten about it for about an hour of blissful ignorance. But now, the stress and anxiety of simply the prospect of talking to the headmaster sent me into a spiral of internal panic.

I forced those thoughts out of my brain as the two of us finally entered the classroom.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Hey! I didn't know you two were in this class!" Naegi greeted us. He hopped out of his seat and glided to us.

As we exchanged pleasantries with Naegi, I glanced around the room. Again, I was quick to notice people I recognized. Like the floating guy, the girl who had turned into a spear, the girl with the pale pink eyes, and...oh God...

"Nishishishi~!" The purple gremlin?! I tensed up when he started laughing, remembering how it felt to be under his control. "Hi again, Hajime-chaaaaaaaaaaan~!" His grin spread from ear to ear.

I shuddered. "How do you know my name?!"

"Easy! I couldn't get you out of my head! Ever since the exam, I had to know the name of my knight in shining armor!" He swooned. "So I snuck into your house at night and looked through all your stuff!"

"Y...you what?!" I stammered, stumbling back in shock. Is this guy serious? The thought of someone being in my room while I slept, especially this guy, was more than unsettling.

"He's lying," Saihara assured me matter-of-factly, glaring at the purple gremlin.

"Huuuuuuuuuh?!" The gremlin pouted. "How can you say that?!" He exclaimed in a shrill voice. Then, he burst into tears. "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Why are you so mean?!?! You're ruining all of my fun!"

"It's simple, really," Saihara informed, looking annoyed. "You can determine whether someone is lying through microexpressions, which is something that even someone like you wouldn't be able to fake."

"Aww, you caught me!" The boy laughed again. "I was lying!" He looked proud of himself, the smug little bastard.

"That still doesn't explain why you know my name..." I growled bitterly.

He boy shriveled up at my glare. "Aaaaaah! Hajime-chan's scary!" He trembled overdramatically, to the point that his fear was obviously fake. "Don't you know that you're famous now? An insignificant hero-wannabe that somehow made it into a hero school? You stick out here!"

I hadn't noticed. Disregarding the gremlin's backhanded comments, I scanned my surroundings. Unbeknownst to me, my other classmates often stole a glance in my direction. The girl with the beautiful wings, the boy practically bathing in shadows, the floating dude, everyone.

"I can help you become useful!" The gremlin's eyes sparkled as she shuffled closer to me.

I scoffed. "And how would you do that?"

"Let me control you." The room grew drastically quieter. The gremlin turned serious, and his voice was especially haunting. "Let me control everything you do forever and ever and ever. With a pawn like you, nothing will ever be boring again."

"...How about no?" I chuckled uncomfortably. The gremlin was almost standing on my feet, and he didn't let me get away from him.

The gremlin began to cackle, and the atmosphere returned to normal. "No, I don't wanna control you. That was a lie~."

A footstep interrupted us. Another one. It sounded like an elephant was wandering aimlessly down the hallway. The slow footsteps continued to painfully edge closer to the classroom door. I thought I hear the tiles cracking outside.

The group of us readied ourselves for the oncoming stranger. Who dared enter?

The door shot open. "Hello, students," a high-pitched, sweet voice fluttered around us. But it didn't suit the intimidating body of the speaker. He was a giant staring down at us with a cartoony face. He wore a dusty brown suit that appeared dangerously close to bursting at its seams, along with uncomfortable looking sandals that had clearly seen better days. In the mess that was his curly dark hair, I could see a flimsy flower crown.

"White calla lilies," I heard Saihara mumble.

"What?" I asked.

Saihara pointed to the flowers. "White calla lilies. They typically symbolize purity or innocence."

"Please take your seats, everyone," the giant ordered sweetly. His voice was so...compelling. We were quick to obey.

The giant fumbled with some papers between his massive hands. I was almost surprised they didn't crumble in his grasp. "Welcome, everybody, to your new home!" He smiled innocently. "Look around; pat yourselves on the back! For the next three years, you will have the privilege of studying with some of the best heroes around!

"And I have the honor of being your teacher for the first year of your journey! My name is Daisaku Bandai! I do hope we can all get along."

The group of us collectively relaxed in our seats. It was a relief knowing that this strong hero was a teacher rather than an enemy.

"Let's get right to it!" Bandai encouraged us. "If you would, please get out your math textbooks and turn to page 26."

"It's just a regular lesson?!" We cried in unison.

☆☆☆☆☆

"How's Class 1-C treating you?" I asked Kazuichi.

I didn't even notice the ice pack over his eye until he removed it to glare at me. He had taken a solid punch to the eye, judging by the puffiness and darkness. "Only morning, and the teacher already punished me for 'misbehaviour.'"

"I didn't think teachers were allowed to hit their students!" Naegi said, his eyes widening when he saw the extent of the injury.

"They're not," Kazuichi replied bitterly. "He's not even a teacher! They just hired him to look after us! We have a student teacher, but he doesn't let her do much. Which sucks, because..." Kazuichi smiled dreamily. "She's so pretty!"

I rolled my eyes, smirking. "Why didn't you go to the nurse?"

"Sakakura wouldn't let me," Kazuichi slumped in his chair and put the ice pack back onto his face. He stabbed at his large sandwich with his finger, picking out the pickles and onions. He grimaced when he looked at the veggies. "Believe it or not, it actually looked worse. One of my classmates, Mikan, tried to heal it. Of course, her Quirk isn't too strong. She wouldn't stop apologizing for not being able to do more."

Just behind Kazuichi, I spotted the girl, the one with the pale pink eyes. She was holding her lunch tray, looking like a lost puppy.

I stood up and waved her over. "Hey! Come join us!"

She slowly made her way over and sat down right next to me, across from Saihara. "...Hello." She pulled out a game console from her bag.

"Hi," I started. "Um...I never actually got your name..."

"Oh..." she blinked, not looking away from her game. "I'm Chiaki Nanami. Video games are my biggest hobby, and I enjoy every genre. They're a good way for me to come up with ideas for my Quirk."

"Your Quirk has something to do with making things, right?" Naegi asked curiously.

"Yes..." Chiaki nodded. She had a quiet voice; it was almost impossible to hear her over the commotion of the cafeteria. "My Quirk is called Pixelation. I can bring things I imagine to life, but the pictures aren't very high quality. Too pixelated."

"That's amazing!" I told her eagerly.

Chiaki simply shrugged in reply, now completely engrossed in her game.

"That seems like a useful Quirk for this afternoon," Naegi commented, seemingly thinking out loud.

"Why do you say that?" Kazuichi asked through slurps of soda.

"Today is Class 1-A's pre-test," Naegi answered.

I nearly choked on my rice. Pre-test? What kind of pre-test.

"It will likely be a test of our abilities," Saihara said, as if he had read my mind, which, I honestly didn't doubt. "According to the upperclassmen I've spoken with, mornings are completely dedicated to fulfilling the regular school curriculum, while afternoons are spent on hero training. For the next three days, the three main Hero Classes will be tested on physical capabilities."

"Finally," Kazuichi said. "At least we'll get some excitement, not just sitting in a stuffy classroom all day."

I nodded in agreement, though I had a feeling that I wouldn't be having the greatest time. How could I even try to compare myself to all of these amazingly talented people?

"It will be nice to get a look at other people's Quirks," Saihara added.

Kazuichi shook his head aggressively. "Nuh-uh! I'm done with other people's Quirks! Half of my classmates could kill me, even accidentally!"

"C'mon, Kazuichi," I said. "They wouldn't be here if they could kill so easily."

"No, I'm telling you!" Kazuichi insisted. "In Class 1-C, their Quirks are almost...too powerful for their good or something!" Kazuichi screeched as the bell rang.

"You're overreacting," I told him as I pulled my backpack over my shoulder.

Kazuichi practically hopped over the table and landed uncomfortably close to me. He hugged my arm close to his chest. "Take me with yooooooooooooooouuuuuu!" He wailed. I felt his warm breath and droplets of saliva attack my face.

I put my free hand on his face and tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge. "Let! Go!" I grumbled. "You're causing a scene!"

"I don't wanna go back to my classroom!" Kazuichi continued. "Mr. Sakakura is so mean! And I think Hiyoko is gonna kill me! Take me with yooooou!"

I placed my hand on Kazuichi's arms and slipped my trapped arm away. "Kazuichi! Relax!" I shouted. "You're exaggerating! You just need to get used to your classmates!"

Kazuichi's lip shivered, and he looked at me sadly, but he nodded in agreement. "You're probably right," he sniffled.

I nodded. "I'll see you later, dude." I began to walk away, trying to catch up with Saihara, Chiaki, and Naegi.

"Bye," his weak reply followed me.

How could I have known? At that time, how could I have guessed what would happen?

☆☆☆☆☆

"A pre-test?!" The group cried. We stood in a line in right by the track. Bandai stood in front of us.

"Please don't worry!" Bandai said, concern flooding his large eyes. "I didn't mean to make you guys sad! It's not really a test, more like a simple physical exam!"

The group sighed in relief. Stray fluffy feathers from the winged girl tickled my nose. I could only barely hold in my sneeze while Bandai explained the test.

"As you probably know, when you were younger, you weren't allowed to use your Quirks for physical activities. Here at Hope's Peak, it's not only allowed, but encouraged! We want you to hone your abilities!"

"Yes!" The floating guy cheered.

"Let's get started right away!" Bandai said. He seemed happy about our excitement. "You know what they say: the speediest tiger lilies always get the water!"

"I've never heard anyone say that," I heard a girl mumble thoughtfully behind me.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Today, we're gonna start with a shot put throw!" Bandai told us. "And, I'm sorry, because I'm still trying to put faces to names, when it's your turn, please state your name and Quirk before throwing." He smiled apologetically at us before flipping through his papers. "Ok, let's start with...Hajime!"

I groaned as I trudged up. I knew I would have to face humiliation, but I didn't think it would be so soon. "Hajime Hinata," I muttered. "Quirkless."

I grabbed the ball, rubbing it's surface with my thumb. I held it close to me before chucking it as hard as I could.

"Very good, Hajime!" Bandai congratulated me. "Perfectly average!"

"Oh..." I said, disappointed. "Thanks."

I could feel everyone's eyes glued to me, judging me. I felt my face heat up with embarrassment.

Saihara and Naegi threw the ball normally like I did. At the very least, I was glad at least a couple of people had the same physical attributes as me.

The next person was the girl who had turned into a spear at the exam. "Kirumi Toujo," she introduced herself. She had perfect posture, standing rigidly in front of us, her hands folded in front of her. "My Quirk is called Shapeshifter."

Kirumi gripped the shot put tightly in her hand. Before our very eyes, she had transformed into...a cannon?! The cannon's wick was lit by the winged girl, who held a red feather in her hand. The flame quickly burned through the wick, and the ball flew out of the cannon at mach speed. I never saw it land.

Bandai's jaw dropped. "Um....very nice, Kirumi!" He scribbled on some paper.

Kirumi morphed back into her true form. She bowed to Bandai. "Thank you." She wore a heavenly smile on her face as she returned to the line.

"Aha! Angie shall be next!" The winged girl volunteered. "Atua has blessed Angie with the abilities of the angels, and she shall now demonstrate the beautiful ways of Atua!" She giggled brightly. Angie plucked an orange feather from her wings and clasped it with both hands. The shot put had been placed on the ground.

"By Atua's will!" Angie cried. From the tip of the feather erupted a whirlwind, or, more like a tornado. We were forced to hold onto a muscular classmate with butterfly wings to prevent ourselves from flying away with the ball. It seemingly flew up into the heavens.

The barrage of air ceased, and we all fell off the butterfly guy. "Astonishing..." Saihara mumbled, his eyes wide in admiration. He marveled at Angie's wings. "It's no wonder she was recommended."

"What?" Naegi inquired.

"Every year, up to four students can be recommended for the Hero Course, and they donxt have to take the entrance exam," Saihara explained. "This year, one's in our class, two in 1-B, and another in 1-C."

"How do you know that she was the recommended one?" I asked.

"Well, for one, she wasn't at the exams. I feel as if I would remember her," Saihara replied. "Also, her power and control are clearly superior to ours." Saihara paused, as if he were reluctant to say more. "And...I may have seen it on her files..."

"What?" I was surprised to hear that. Saihara didn't seem like the type of guy that would snoop on people's information. "How did you do that?" I ask, suspicious.

Saihara adjusted his hat, his eyes shifting every which way. "I was asked by a very powerful person to investigate the records of the incoming students," he admitted with a shrug. "I was in no place to deny them."

"Shhh!" A girl standing nearby shushed us harshly. "Himiko needs to concentrate! You degenerate males need to learn respect!"

In front of the group, a petite girl-presumably Himiko- held the shot put in one hand, and what looked like a wand in the other. "Nyeh..." she muttered quietly, in a bored, monotone voice. "Watch, as I use my magic to make this ball move."

Magic? What was she going on about? Was she referring to her Quirk as magic?

Himiko waved her wand over the ball, mumbling inaudible incantations. Magically, the ball rose from her hand, and slowly began meandering away from us. We were all silent, intently staring at the levitating shot put. Then, unexpectedly, the shot put collapsed onto the ground with a thump. Himiko yawned and turned to Bandai. "Nyeh...my magic takes a lot of mana. I need to use it sparingly." She stumbled back into line.

The girl who had shushed us earlier rushed to her side. "Himiko! That was amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing!" She gushed.

"Eh..." Himiko yawned again. She looked annoyed by the girl's blabbering.

"Ah-hahahahahaha!" A bellowing laugh broke out from somewhere in the line. "I'm not about to let you losers show up me! I'm next!" A blonde girl with black fingerless gloves strutted confidently up to the ball. She flipped her hair as she announced. "Listen up, you cockroaches! You're in the presence of greatness! Miu Iruma! My amazing Quirk is called Steam!"

We watched, dumbfounded, as Iruma chucked the ball with all her might. It landed a little farther than mine did, but not much. "Ahahahahaha!" Iruma laughed proudly. She returned to her place in line, a cocky smirk on her face. With her hip, she bumped another boy forward. "Go on, Kiibo! Show 'em what you got!"

The boy stumbled forward, his arms waving around to balance himself. "Please stop doing that..." he said indignantly. However, he obliged, stepping up to the shot put pit. He kicked at the dirt with his foot. "I am Kiibo. My Quirk is called Cyborg."

I was surprised I didn't notice notice earlier. Kiibo wasn't quite...human. His left leg and right arm appeared to be robotic. Likewise, his right eye looked identical to the flickering red eye of the berserk bot. Silver metallic plates surrounded his eye, and were plastered haphazardly on his skin, hair, and clothes.

Grabbing the ball in his robot hand, Kiibo flicked a lever deeply embedded in his wrist. His fingers shifted around, and a hole opened in his palm that ate up the ball. Before our eyes, his entire arm had transformed into a gun. The ball quickly shot out with a pop. It likely would've gone far, but he must've aimed poorly, as it punched a hole into a nearby lamppost. Kiibo covered his mouth with his hands, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"Kiibo!" Iruma shouted. "You idiot!" She angrily barged up to Kiibo, grabbing his mechanical arm and examined it thoroughly. "You're given a gift from the gods, and you waste it!"

"Miu!" Kiibo's face turned bright red as he tried to take his arm back. "Please let go...I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He looked completely flustered.

Bandai ushered the two back into line. I could hear Iruma muttering something about needing to 'make more adjustments.'

Meanwhile, another boy had stepped up to field. He was leagues shorter than everyone else, with a unique face similar to Bandai's. He stared at each one of us individually. I couldn't sense any emotion from him; he was simply observing us.

"Ryoma Hoshi," I reeled back in shock as he spoke. His deep voice didn't match his childish appearance. His voice sounded heavy, like it was hard for him to force the words out of him. "Quirk: Muscle."

Everything Hoshi did was painful to watch. He seemed so dispassionate about everything. It was like he was completely done with life. He carelessly chucked the shot put. It still went impressively far. Even so, Hoshi sighed in disappointment. He shook his head as he walked back into his spot. "Looks like I've still got a ways to go..."

"...I guess I'll go next..." Chiaki volunteered, stepping forward. "...Chiaki Nanami." She introduced. "Quirk...Pixelation." Chiaki turned away from us. Next to her, a pixelated miniature catapult apparated out of nowhere. She gently laid the ball in the bowl, and launched it. The ball went an incredible distance.

"Good job," I whispered to her as she returned to the line. But, she didn't answer. Chiaki returned to whatever game she was playing.

Then, the large butterfly boy stepped up to plate. "Gonta name is Gonta," he introduced with a kind voice. "Gonta Quirk called Butterfly!"

Gonta approached the ball and quickly sucked it up in his large proboscis. He deeply inhaled, and spat out the ball. It flew through the air, landing just on the edge of the field.

Gonta gave us a pure smile. "Gonta happy to work with you all!" He returned to the line.

The next two people were pretty much opposites. Kaito Momota, the floating boy, pretty much lived and breathed passion. Everything he did was so genuine, from the way he pepped himself up with words of encouragement, the way he threw the ball with everything he had, to the way his smile was as shiny as the stars he seemed to admire.

The girl, Maki Harukawa, on the other hand, was an enigma. Her Quirk was called Raccoon. She had cute fluffy ears and a tail, dark markings around her eyes, and sharp teeth and claws. She seemed extremely unfriendly, as even the extroverted Kaito couldn't get a smile out of her. She was silent; not even her footsteps made a noise as she slunk to and fro.

Next, a plain girl who introduced herself as Tsumugi Shirogane, displayed her unique Quirk. Red thread pooled from her fingertips, and she weaved it all together into a sort of makeshift catapult, the kind used in the cornfields during Halloween for pumpkin chucking. She tore out the thread from her nails, and shot the ball.

Up next was a sweet-looking blonde girl. She gave the group a cheery, optimistic smile. "Hi! My name is Kaede Akamatsu! My Quirk is Piano!" As she said that, I noticed what looked like a keyboard etched into her left arm. Kaede placed the shot put ball on the ground and stood back. With her right hand, she pressed a chord. When she did, a shot of air whipped the ball across the field.

Kaede smiled as she fixed her skirt. She returned to her spot in line next to Saihara. She smiled at him and gave him a silly wave.

Saihara timidly adjusted his hat as he gave her a flustered grin in return.

"Kaede, you have a really cool Quirk!" I told her.

"Thank you!" She replied. Kaede held up her arm to me. "Do you wanna try?"

"Um...are you sure?" I stammered.

Kaede nodded enthusiastically. "Mmhm! It's really fun, I promise!"

Nervously, I pressed on one of the keys. A rush of adrenaline flowed through my veins. "That's an encouragement key," Kaede explained happily. "Some keys alter emotions, some increases my power, some heal, and some are my actual abilities."

I pressed the last black key to the right. A strange noise eeked out. "What's that?" I asked.

"That would be the fart noise."

"Oh."

"Hey!" A shout interrupted us. It was the girl who had berated us earlier. "You males need to stop pressuring that girl!"

"Tenko..." Himiko quietly scolded with a yawn. "Just throw the ball. I wanna take a nap..."

"Ok, Himiko!" Tenko replied cheerfully, dutifully preparing herself for her throw. After standing motionless for a solid minute, she let out a loud"Hi-yah!" And threw out her hand in some kind of karate chop. A whoosh of air hit the ball out of the field.

"...whoa..." I mumbled. Her power was different compared to Angie and Kaede, whose Quirks could also manipulate air. What came from Tenko was more like raw power.

Next up was a boy with long hair and a greenish hat. "Hello," he said slowly, in what could be considered a seductive voice. "My name is Korekiyo Shinguji, but you can call me Kiyo. My Quirk is simply called Rope."

Kiyo threw the ball normally, but, as his back faced us, I truly noticed his hair. If you looked closely, you would notice that his hair was actually strands of dark rope. It wavered and twisted like a bunch of snakes. As he moved, the rope seemed to grow and shrink in small intervals.

After Kiyo, the purple gremlin waltzed onto the stage. "Yaaay! My turn!" He stated excitedly. "I'm Kokichi Ouma! With my Quirk Control, I'm gonna win complete control over the world!"

Kirumi, who was standing next to me, suddenly tensed up. Her eyes looked dull, like she wasn't completely there. Kirumi slowly--reluctantly--stepped forward next to Ouma. She swiftly morphed into one of those throwers used for playing fetch with a dog. Kokichi grabbed the thrower, shoved the ball in, and sent it flying. It didn't go too far.

In this little victory dance, Ouma threw the thrower roughly to the ground. Soon after, Kirumi returned to herself. She was on her knees, grabbing her head in pain and confusion. "What?"

"Uh-oh, is Kirumi hurt?" Kokichi asked, chuckling.

As a proud Ouma and a confusing, hurting Kirumi returned to their spots, the last student readied himself for his throw. He was the one that had been constantly wrapped in shadows.

He waved to us coolly as he introduced himself. "Hey. My name's Rantaro Amami. My Quirk's called Shadowwalker."

Confidently, Amami grabbed the shot put. He raised his arm up, and dropped the ball at his feet.

Surprisingly, the ball seemed to disappear into the ground. It reappeared several times for a few milliseconds each: next to a tree, by a pole, behind Kaede, and finally in front of the fence enclosing the field. No matter what, the ball always stayed in the shadows of objects.

"...what was that?" I whispered to Saihara.

"His Quirk," Saihara replied. "He can travel through shadows. He can also send objects through the shadows."

"Whoa..." I mumbled. That was a really cool, mysterious Quirk. Perfect for a cool, mysterious guy like Amami.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

"Very impressive, everyone!" Bandai applauded.

I laid back in the soft green grass, panting. This was far more excruciating than anything I had to do in middle school. It was even more difficult knowing I had to compete with students with super cool Quirks.

A shadow fell onto my face. I found myself looking up at Kaito's face. He held out his hand to me. "Nice job, dude!" He grinned cheerfully.

I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me up. "Thanks," I mumbled. "But I didn't do that good..." I dejectedly pointed to the scoreboard at the corner of the field. I was last in my class.

Kaito waved his hand dismissively to the board. "Don't let that thing determine your worth! It's about how you think you did! As long as you did your best, then you did a good job!" He punched his fists together in a determined manner.

I smiled at Kaito. I appreciated his sentiments. "Yeah." His words made me feel more confident. I had a lot of work to do, but as long as I tried, maybe I could do it.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I gulped as I knocked on the headmaster's door. I heard several shuffling noises from the other side.

"Come in," I heard the headmaster's voice, and I obliged. I slowly closed the door behind me. The headmaster's room was dark and tidy. Mr. Kirigiri himself was sitting at his desk as he had in the recording. "Ah, Hajime, please, sit." He gestured to an empty seat in front of him.

I quickly slipped into the wooden chair. "Wh...what did you want to talk about, sir?" I asked nervously.

"Hajime," Mr. Kirigiri started calmly. "As you know, I'm taking a large risk letting you enter my school. There are countless students eager for your spot who are more worthy than you."

I winced at his words, but nodded in agreement nonetheless.

"However, I see potential in you." Mr. Kirigiri paused, breathing deeply. "Listen, son, there are...secrets about this school, secrets that can never get out to the public. What I'm about to tell you is serious. There would be terrible consequences should you let these secrets slip.

"Along with teaching the heroes of the future, scientists seek out this school to perform highly important studies." He explained slowly. "Most of these studies center around Quirks...and...Izuru Kamukura."

I perked up when I heard that name. That was the name of this school's founder. "Izuru Kamukura?" I repeated. "What research could be done on him? Didn't he die a long time ago?"

The headmaster sighed. "The answer is more complex than you would expect."

I shook my head in confusion. "Izuru Kamukura, scientists who study Quirks, what does this have to do with me?"

"That's also a complicated answer," Mr. Kirigiri told me. "It's...a long story."

"I have time."

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

"Izuru Kamukura, what a name," the headmaster began. "As you probably already know, he was the founder of this very school. He also possessed arguably the greatest Quirk of all time. He could do anything he wanted. He was the Ultimate Superhero.

"But not even Kamukura could hold that kind of power forever. Every Quirk has its flaws, even Kamukura's. Eventually, he had to gift his Quirk to somebody else."

"Gift?" I had heard about Quirks that could be transferred from person to person, but I always assumed that that was simply a myth.

Mr. Kirigiri nodded. "The trick about this Quirk is that it can never die. It can be given or even forcefully removed. It's still around, even now. It lives on as the Ultimate Hope."

I did a double take at that. "Wait, what?" The Ultimate Hope was my childhood hero, the greatest out there. Never seen besides when they fight villains, the Ultimate Hope is something as a Symbol of Peace for all humanity.

The headmaster nodded again. "Hope's Peak has controlled who recieves the name of Ultimate Hope, in honor of the original."

"Shouldn't that choice be left to the Ultimate Hope?" I asked, confused.

Mr. Kirigiri shook his head. "We can't trust one person with that choice. It is a decision discussed and debated for years at a time. The Ultimate Hope has a certain reputation to uphold. Which brings us to a predicament...

"The most recent Ultimate Hope was a girl about your age. We made a mistake giving her the Quirk. She began to misuse her new power, so we had to...remove it prematurely."

"Remove?"

"Here at Hope's Peak, we usually remove the Ultimate Hope's Quirk when their time is up. It is typically an easy process. We've never had to take it away early, until now. It was...quite difficult." Mr. Kirigiri shuddered, as if remembered something traumatic.

"But," I interjected. "I still don't get what this has to do with me."

Mr. Kirigiri sighed. He seemed tired. "We're desperate. Sooner or later, the public will notice the disappearance of the Ultimate Hope. We need to put the Quirk somewhere. That's where you come in."

The headmaster leaned closer to me. "Son, we've noticed your potential. You have a deep admiration for this school and the heroes that emerge from here. You're the perfect candidate to inherit the name of the Ultimate Hope."

I stood up and rubbed my temples with my fingertips. I paced in a small circle in front of the desk, almost unable to process all of this information. "Are you saying that you'll...give me a Quirk?"

"If." The headmaster said firmly. "You meet our requirements. You must complete this school year at the top of your class to prove yourself worthy of this Quirk. I'm serious, son. This Quirk is highly dangerous, we need to make sure you can handle it." He smiled at me. "You want to become something great, don't you? What do you say? Will you try?" He held his hand out for a handshake.

Heroes don't hesitate. This was only the beginning. I didn't let myself think about everything that could possibly go wrong. I eagerly shook Mr. Kirigiri's hand. "Yes, sir!"

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Mr. Kirigiri folded his hands atop his desktop. "But, I have one last...suggestion for you."

"Yes?" I was willing to do most anything at this point.

"This isn't a requirement. More like a personal recommendation." The headmaster sighed. "That boy, the one from Class 1-C. It would be a good idea for you to stop hanging out with him. Class 1-C is new this year. It was made to accommodate the troublemakers. There are an abundance of them this year. Associating with them will only bring misfortune to you."

I couldn't believe what I hearing. That didn't sound like Kazuichi. He wasn't a troublemaker, I knew it. He just made one mistake. No matter what, I wouldn't abandon my friend. A true hero wouldn't give up on anybody.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

"Hajime!" Kazuichi waved me over. He stood just outside the gates of the school with Saihara, Naegi, and Chiaki.

"You guys waited for me?" I smiled as I approached them.

"Kazuichi told us the headmaster wanted to talk to you." Naegi told me. "He convinced us to stay after."

"Chiaki offerred to let us come to her house to play video games!" Kazuichi told me excitedly. "We should do it!"

"It's a school night, though," Saihara protested.

"We can do homework, too!" Kazuichi assured the boy. "We can become an unstoppable force of smarts!"

We all agreed to walk over to Chiaki's house. After doing homework for an hour, we moved on to crushing Kazuichi in all of the games.

I didn't realize how much I would come to miss all of this. It seems simple, but these days with my friends would prove to be a calm before a storm.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆


	3. Chapter 3

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

It only takes me a few seconds to see the figure outside my window. My line of sight has been greatly hindered by my hat, but I still find myself surprisingly perceptive, though I can't say that's something to be extremely proud of.

The figure, who, from the silhouette, I deduce is a male, taps on the window of my balcony door. I tentatively answer, my body flooding with apprehension. "...Hell...o...?"

The male scoffs and rolls his eyes. He crosses his arms roughly as he says, "So you finally decided to answer." His tired eyes glare into my own. "Hopefully you're smart enough to know why I'm here, Shuichi Saihara."

I tentatively return his gaze. "...I thought you were done with me."

The male laughed bitterly. "Wow, almost as stupid as you are weak!" That being said, he pushes his way into my room and grips the collar of my shirt in his calloused hands so tightly they turn milky white. "After all we've done for you?" He whispers menacingly into my right ear. "You're not even close to paying your dues, idiot."

To my discomfort, I feel my Adam's apple rub against his shoulder as I gulp tremulously. "What do you want from me?" I inquire meekly.

"Surely you can figure that out yourself, stupid," I feel his breathy voice on the back of my neck as he speaks. "That Quirkless cockerel that was 'mysteriously' let into the school." The male didn't loosen his grip on my shirt as he emphasizes the word 'mysterious' with air quotes. "We want you to...watch over him." I flinch as I unexpectedly feel his cheekbone brush against my skin. I can only imagine the sadistic smile that likely stretches across his face.

"Watch him?" I repeat, suddenly feeling defensive. "Wh...at do you mean by that?!" Even if I haven't known him for long, I saw Hajime as a friend. I don't want any of my friends caught in this mess with me. I can't stand the thought of somebody getting hurt because of my stupid decision!

"Oh, please!" The male spits. "Like you're not curious, too! Don't you want to find out why he got accepted? It wasn't because you helped him defeat that weakling of a robot!"

I hesitate before nervously mumbling, "I...can't do that..."

This only angers him. "You can't do that? Worried you'll hurt your friend?" He mocks. His fingers drift away from my shirt collar and close in on my throat. "You're not friends," he continues. "You're competition. And he's already at an advantage! Don't you know why the headmaster wanted to speak with him, idiot!"

That last sentence grabs my attention. "Wait...what? What do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about." The man pushes me away. I lose my balance and collapse on the hardwood floor. He stands above me with a condescending smirk as he speaks again. "Our mission for you. We want to know everything about Hajime Hinata and his connection to the school."

He must sense my hesitation, as he goes on. "Are you worried you'll fail? Worried your stupid-ass can't do it?" He chuckles a bit. "Don't worry. We believe in you. We think you can do it. Just believe in yourself."

...He's right. I can't afford to hide from the truth. I have to uncover it myself. I take a resigned breath. "Ok...I'll do it. But...after this...we're even, right? I won't have to help you guys anymore?"

His laugh leaves me unsettled. I can see through his lies. "Of course. You won't have to help us anymore."

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Within a week, we quickly fell into a routine. Mornings were filled with matrices and Macbeth, while afternoons were jam-packed with basic hero training activities. After school, the five of us (me, Kazuichi, Naegi, Chiaki, and Saihara) would walk to Chiaki's for homework and video games.

It felt like Saihara was still a bit uncomfortable with us. I always felt his eyes on me. But, I didn't think much of it. He gave off a heavy air of awkwardness.

This particular morning, while waiting in the classroom for Daisaku, Chiaki, Saihara, and Naegi were peering over my shoulders as I played a game on my DS. In the game, I had reached a crossroad in the tunnel. "Go left," Chiaki suggested with a yawn.

"But," I protested. "I think right's closer to the exit." I pointed to the screen. The left tunnel appeared deep and dark, while the right one had specks of light emanating from it.

"I think Chiaki may be right," Saihara added. "The light effect is different here. When we entered, the light was more of a whiteish color and was more widespread. The light in the right tunnel is more orange and moves sporadically."

"Do whatever feels right, Hajime," Naegi interjected. He gave me an encouraging smile.

"Ok, ok," I took a deep breath. "I'm going right." I directed my character into the right tunnel. Almost instantly, flames engulfed the entrance, and I was trapped with a menacing fire beast. I never had a chance.

I banged my head on my desk as the game over music played. "Uuuuuuuuuuugh..." I groaned.

"...Don't worry, Hajime," Chiaki gave me a comforting pat on the shoulder. "You'll do better next time."

The classroom door was suddenly pushed open, and in came Daisaku. "Good morning, class," he greeted cheerily. "Today we will be doing something different."

As I turned my DS off, we all leaned forward in our seats. What could we possibly be doing this morning?

"Today," Daisaku told us. "We will be selecting a class representative!"

The classroom became a warzone. Everyone wanted to be the class rep. Being class rep showed initiative and leadership skills, which looked good to employers.

"I nominate myself!" Kaito shouted, standing up as he slammed one hand on his desk and the other straight in the air.

"Kukuku," Korekiyo chuckled. "An intriguing opportunity, indeed."

"Nya-haha~!" Angie called. "By Atua's will, Angie will be the class representative!"

"C...Calm down, everyone, please," Daisaku struggled to calm the class. "The fairest way to select our class rep would be a vote. However," he added emphatically. "The only rule I will place is: don't vote for yourself."

Though there were a few groans, the class agreed to the rule. Daisaku passed out a ballot to us all. I tapped the eraser end of my pencil against the smooth surface of my desk. I read and re-read each name over and over again, taking in the shape of each letter on the crisp sheet of faded paper. I furrowed my brow, concentrating heavily. I looked around the classroom, judging each student's behavior. I noticed a few faces pop up as well, so I knew others were doing the same.

I continued to ponder my options. I first looked to Saihara. His wit would make him an obvious choice, but did he have what it took to lead a rowdy group like this? There was also Naegi, who's blind optimism was highly appealing to others, so he would make for a good class rep. But he was honestly pretty weak.

Though she was most definitely admired in a social aspect, I was quick to rule out Chiaki. She reminded me of a magnet; a strong force that easily attracted others. We've only been attending Hope's Peak for a little over a week, but Chiaki had already formed bonds with our class and several others from the different hero classes. These relationships were nice, but I figured that they would easily hinder Chiaki's decision-making, which was the deciding factor in my conclusion. I went through a similar thought-process with Kaede, Gonta, and Kirumi.

Kaito was another matter. He was strong physically, socially, and mentally. He had a high level of likability, and, despite his ignorant appearance, was smart. He was also physically and mentally capable, and overall appeared to be a leader.

I ran through my options once more, and decided once and for all to go with my gut decision. I placed my vote with no further hesitation.

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"What?!" Kaito cried indignantly. "Bandai, you have to let me re-vote! That little gremlin took my vote!" He pointed to Ouma angrily.

"Ni-shishishi!" Ouma gave Kaito a cheeky grin to accompany his trademark cackle.

"I'm sorry, Kaito," Daisaku smiled apologetically. "I can't do that. As they say, 'it is the wind's wish.'"

"I don't believe anyone says that," I could hear Tsumugi mumble thoughtfully.

"Here are the results!" Banai announced happily. He tapped on the tablet in his arms and an image was projected onto the whiteboard.

I studied the projection. I was disappointed, but, at the same time, not surprised that I had gotten no votes. I continued to examine the results.

Surprisingly, Kokichi had gotten a vote. “He stole my vote!” Kaito continued to complain, looking intensely annoyed. Ah, so that’s what happened.

There were other votes scattered around, a couple for Kirumi, a couple for Chiaki and Naegi. But, the most important votes were at the very top of the board. There was a tie. Three votes for Kaede. Three votes for Saihara.

“...A tie?” Saihara muttered nervously. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him sink down in his seat, pulling his hat further over his eyes. I thought I even saw him blush slightly?

“Oh, a tie,” Daisaku realized. It was clear that he hadn’t been expecting that. “Um...ok! We will just...do as the willow does! After lunch, before we go to hero training, we’ll have a re-vote. You will only be able to vote for either Kaede or Saihara.”

A re-vote, huh? At the very least, it wasn’t a very difficult choice.

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“I hope Kaede wins,” Saihara confessed. His hat hung low, covering his eyes. He picked at his lunch with his fork. His free hand held his chin up as his elbow rested on the tabletop.

“Why do you say that?” Naegi asked. “I think you would be a great class rep! That’s why I voted for you!” He added with a sweet smile.

Saihara glanced at Naegi, I’m not sure whether his expression was one of pleasant surprise or nervous malice. “You...voted for me? Wh...y would you do that?”

Naegi shrugged cheerfully. “I just thought you were the best decision, that’s all!” He chuckled.

From a mess of game sound effects, Chiaki nodded. “...I agree. I voted for you, too.”

“So did I,” I admitted. “You need to have more confidence, but I think you have the potential to be a good leader.”

“Really?” Saihara seemed uncertain. He fidgeted with the brim of his hat. “I’m not so sure...”

“Sure you can!” Saihara jumped in shock when Kazuichi unexpectedly slaps his back. He had returned from the cacophony that was the cafeteria, and was unaware of the conversation. “You can do anything you put your mind to!” He encouraged as he sat down.

“Have you guys chosen a class rep yet?” I asked.

Kazuichi nodded eagerly, taking a large bite of the cookie he had stolen from my house this morning. “We chose Miss Sonia,” he said dreamily, cookie crumbs spraying everywhere.

“She’s so pretty,” he gushed. “And friendly. Everyone in our class likes her. Especially that Gundham guy. Pfft, he gives me the creeps,” he muttered, then shook his head. “But never mind his stupid face! I like Miss Sonia more! Her voice is so sweet, whenever she talks to me my heart just melts! Lately, it’s felt like Miss Sonia is the only good part of my life.”

I nearly choked on my food as he spoke. Not only was I grossed by his more extravagant fanboying, I also felt betrayed. Kazuichi said this Sonia girl was the best thing in his life. What about his family? What about the repair shop? What about me, his lifelong friend? Kazuichi was always quick to fall for every girl he saw, but this was just too much. “Oh, how interesting,” I murmured, peeved.

“Are you guys voting for class rep now?” Kazuichi asked us.

“Yep!” Naegi informed him. “We’re doing a re-vote after lunch today! There was a tie between Saihara and another classmate of ours named Kaede!”

“Awesome!” Kazuichi’s voice cracked as he turned to Saihara. “Congrats, dude! Hope you win!”

Saihara turned away and sunk down into his seat. “That makes one of us, I guess.”

The bell rang. Kazuichi whimpered and appeared visibly more tense. His arms crossed protectively over his chest, and he looked around nervously. I wasn’t surprised by that anymore. Ever since that first day of school, the bell had become like a trigger to Kazuichi. I thought about Mr. Kirigiri’s words again. ‘Stop hanging out with that boy from Class 1-C.’ That suggestion, along with Kazuichi’s recent behavior, just made me worry even more about my friend. What exactly was going on in Class 1-C?

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“Has everyone voted?” Daisaku asked. After receiving confirmation, he tapped away on the tablet again. “Okay, let’s see the results!”

We collectively edged forward in our seats, anticipating the results.

Loading. Loading.

There were eight votes for Kaede. Nine votes for Saihara. “We have our winner!” Daisaku announced. “Congratulations, Saihara!”

There was a round of polite applause. Kaede was likely the loudest of them all.

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We stood in our practice uniforms, a lightweight jumpsuit emblazoned with the Hope’s Peak logo on the chest, in front of a an area similar to the exam testing areas.

“Okay class,” Daisaku paced in front of us. “Today’s activity will be a bit different. Today is a day to put your skills to the test against your fellow students.”

“We’re gonna fight?” Kaito exclaimed, pumping his fists together. He grinned viciously. “Hell yeah!”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm,” Daisaku started uneasily. “But please slow your roll a bit. This isn’t going to an all-out fight to the death. This is a team activity that’s meant to resemble a real battle against villains. It works like this:

“Because the number of students isn’t exactly pretty, the groups will be slightly uneven. But for the most part, you will be put in groups of two, which have already been decided by me. Each group will be either heroes or villains. The heroes will start on the outside of one of these buildings. Their goal is to either capture the villains, who will be in a secret location inside the building, or apprehend the nuclear weapon that the villains will be protecting. The villain’s goal is to either keep the heroes at bay until the 10-minute timer runs out, or defeat the heroes in battle.”

I sighed. A partner activity. Great. I already knew that no one would want to be my partner. Perfect. I grunted softly to express disapproval.

"The first groups up will be," Daisaku announced. "Naegi and Tenko as the heroes, and Kaito and Himiko as the villains! Villains, you will have 2 minutes to set up and both teams are free to discuss a strategy before beginning! The rest of us will be watching through cameras from a safe distance."

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The timer began. We watched as Naegi rushed into the building, slowly followed by a sulking Tenko.

Tenko was not having a good time. "I can't fight Himiko!" She complained. "She's too cute!" She pointed to Naegi. "You degenerate male! I don't trust you to make good decisions, so, we will go by my plan!"

"O...k?" Naegi slowed his pace to walk next to Tenko.

"I will fight that stupid male! He should be easy to defeat! You will go after the weapon! Don't attack Himiko unless she strikes first! And go easy on her! I won't have any girls hurt by any boy!"

"Ok, fine," Naegi said again.

As we waited for the two to find their way through the building, we watched a different camera that focused on Kaito and Himiko.

“Do you have any ideas for what we should do?” Kaito asked her. He moved his arms around, stretching in preparation for the upcoming fight.

“Nyeh...” Himiko mumbled. “I just wanna sleep...I need to work up more mana...”

“Are you kidding me?” Kaito asked incredulously. “You don’t want to fight? Why are you here, then?”

“...Eh?” Himiko gazed up at Kaito with tired eyes.

“Are you looking to be a hero?” Kaito continued. “You can’t be lazy as a hero! You have to stay on your toes, always be ready for the enemies!” Kaito ran in place a bit to prove his point. “You have to always be alert to help the innocents rest easy! We may just be starting out as assistants to heroes, but, just watch, if you put in hard work and dedication, we’ll be the greatest heroes in history!”

“...Wow...” Himiko murmured in a monotone voice. “You’re really passionate about this, aren’t you? Nyeh...what a pain...”

We couldn’t hear the two of them formulate a plan, as they had lowered their voices.

It wasn’t long before Tenko burst through the door, followed by a cautious Naegi.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiii-yah!” Tenko was quick to attack Kaito, sending a whirlwind of dusty air in his direction. He avoided the onslaught by hiding behind a cement pillar. Floating high into the air, Kaito sent himself toward Tenko, falling straight toward her. Thanks to her quick reflexes, Tenko easily sent him away with a slice of air.

Meanwhile, Naegi and Himiko fell into a stalemate. The two simply stood there, Naegi by the door, and Himiko by the papier-mache nuclear weapon meant to resemble a missile. The two students stared at each other, seemingly contemplating their next moves.

A single motion from Tenko spurred the two into action. A slight misfire on her side fired air right between the two, hitting the wall at full force. The wall cracked and a few crumbs dropped to the floor.

Himiko blinked the dust out of her eyes, and raised her wand. I couldn’t decipher what she said, but the crumbs slowly rose.

Naegi was quick. He leaped for protection behind a pillar next to the door. Himiko shot the debris toward him, and they shattered against the pillar. The pillar shuddered, and Naegi laid his arms over his head to protect himself from possible chunks of cement fall. A faint glow began to emanate from his chest as he emerged from behind the pillar.

Unfortunately, Naegi and Himiko were interrupted by a flying Kaito. Tenko had sent him hurtling toward the far wall. Kaito was wedged into the crack in the wall that Tenko made previously. “...ugh...” he groaned.

“Kaito...” Himiko gazed at her fallen friend.

“Himiko!” Tenko gushed, rushing toward you. “Are you okay? That boy didn’t hurt you, did he?” She glared at a confused Naegi while she asked that question. Naegi stood a little ways away. The light he had created slowly dimmed out.

“Nyeh...” Himiko groaned. She glared at Tenko, clearly annoyed. “Tenko!” She cried angrily. With a yawn, Himiko raised her wand again. Tenko slowly raised into the air.

She clawed at the air hopelessly, but she was unable to unleash an attack. “Whaaaaaaaaaah!” She cried as she was tossed into the wall right above Kaito. The crack in the wall deepened, and quickly ripped apart. Kaito and Tenko both screeched as they fell back. They were just lucky they were on the second floor, so no major injuries occurred.

Himiko turned back to Naegi. Hand heavily trembling, she raised her wand one last time.

Naegi’s light resurfaced ever so slightly. But it was unnecessary. We watched as Himiko’s eyes rolled back and she melted onto the floor, unconscious. A gentle snore could be heard.

Both Naegi and the group of students watching the video feed just stood in stunned silence. “Umm...” Daisaku stammered into the microphone. “...Naegi and Tenko win by knockout!”

Naegi crept closer to Himiko’s sleeping body. He knelt down and gently shook her shoulder. “Himiko?”

Himiko was dead asleep. “Her Quirk must take a lot of brainpower,” Saihara stated next to me. “That would explain why she’s often tired.”

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After the next matchup was announced, Gonta was sent to grab Himiko. She was sent to Nurse Seiko’s office. Seiko checked up Tenko and Kaito, but they survived with only minor scrapes and bruises.

“Nice fight, Kaito,” Saihara congratulated.

“Thanks, man,” Kaito grinned. “It didn’t go the way I expected, but I know I’ll do better next time!”

Saihara nodded in understanding.

I shifted my focus to Naegi, who now stood next to Chiaki. “Good win, Naegi.”

Naegi chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily. “I don’t know if I would really consider that a win...” he admitted. “But,” he continued. “I admire how perseverant everyone was, and the way they carefully honed their abilities. I hope to follow their example and be the best hero I can be!”

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Kaito grinned, giving Naegi a thumbs-up.

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The next matchup was Kaede and Amami as the heroes, versus Gonta and Tsumugi as the villains. Through the cameras, we first watched Gonta and Tsumugi.

Tsumugi was creating an abundance of red thread through her fingertips. With Gonta’s assistance, the two pretend villains stitched the ends of the thread around the edges of the windows, creating what looked like spiderwebs.

“What Mugi making?” Gonta inquired as he attached the last of the strings.

“It’s really quite plain,” Tsumugi commented. “It’s simply a precaution to prevent us from being blown away like Tenko and Kaito were.”

“Oh,” Gonta nodded. “Ok.”

“Now,” Tsumugi tugged out the last of her thread from beneath her fingernails. “We wait.”

The room remained still. Amami and Kaede were nowhere to be seen. Then-

A ball pitter-pattered out of the shadows towards the two. It was stopped by Tsumugi’s foot.

“What that?” Gonta pointed to the ball.

Tsumugi shook her head. “...I don’t know...” she replied uneasily.

“Gonta go look around,” Gonta offered, stepping toward the door.

“W-wait!” Tsumugi rushed after Gonta. “I’ll come with you. There’s no way they could get in through unless they pass us, and it would be more of an even fight if both of us were there.”

Gonta nodded, and the two were off.

The crossover was quick. Amami had made a lot of progress in the labyrinth that was the building. He met Gonta and Tsumugi at the end of the hallway close to the exit. “Hey,” he waved calmly.

Gonta and Tsumugi were quick to ready themselves into battle positions. “Oh,” Amami slowly lowered his hand. “We’re going to battle now. Ok.” He too readied himself for battle.

Amami leaned down into the shadows, and pulled out what looked like a stick from seemingly nowhere. He brandished it in Gonta’s direction. “Sorry,” he apologized as he chucked the stick at Gonta.

Gonta easily caught the stick in his massive hand. But neither Tsumugi nor Gonta realized that that was only a distraction.

Amami tapped the wall with his first and middle finger. This motion made the shadow nearby grow. Unexpectedly, Kaede shot out of the shadow, along with a few leaves and branches. Immediately, she pressed on a couple of keys on her arm piano, sending a menacing rush of air in Gonta and Tsumugi’s direction.

“Kyaaaaaah!” Tsumugi screamed, grabbing onto Gonta’s shoulder. But that was her big mistake. Not even Gonta could withstand Kaede’s powerful attack. The two were pinned to the wall. Quickly, Amami hopped into the shadows.

It took a few moments for us to find him, but we eventually found him in the room where Gonta and Tsumugi had hidden the rocket. Amami coolly strolled up to the mock missile and pressed his hand against its smooth-looking surface. “Target acquired.”

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	4. Chapter 4

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“The next matchup,” Daisaku told us. “Will be a one-on-one match between Korekiyo as the hero and Kirumi as the villain.”

As Kirumi and Korekiyo obediently headed to the arena, Kaede and Amami entered the safe room, followed by a defeated Gonta and Tsumugi.

“You all did really good,” I congratulated the two teams, giving them all a thumbs up.

Kaede smiled. “Thank you! It was all thanks to teamwork and communication!”

Amami nodded silently in agreement. A small smile brushed across his lips.

I nodded thoughtfully. Teamwork. Communication. A wave of concern flooded my lungs and chest. I already knew no one would wanna work with me. How would I be able to communicate and work with someone?

I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. “Look,” Chiaki pointed to the screen. “...The fight’s starting...”

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We watched as Korekiyo smoothly slipped into the building. He was silent, with the exception of the click-clacking of his boots of the tile floor as he took painfully slow steps. Korekiyo appeared to be very cautious, peering into every doorway, pausing before turning any corner. His eyes were calm and calculating as he examined every nook and cranny of the building.

Korekiyo took seemingly forever to reach the room where Kirumi was residing. He stepped into the room.

The room was essentially empty. The walls were dressed in a peeling dull beige paint. The tile floor at the edges of the room were filthy, but the area beneath the fake missiles appeared freshly mopped.

It took me a moment to process the fact that there were actually two fake missiles in the room. Apparently, while we hadn’t been watching, Kirumi had transformed into a practically perfect copy of the missile, so even we didn’t know which one was the real deal.

Korekiyo remained surprisingly calm. He stood in front of the missiles, arms folded across his chest in concentration. One missile sat right in the middle of the room, while the other rested just to the right. To me, they looked completely identical.

Korekiyo continued to carefully observe the two from a distance. Then, he closed his eyes.

Ever so slowly, his hair began to grow. It trickled to the ground before slithering forward menacingly. Each individual rope-like strand almost seemed alive, what with the incessant twitching of the ends. Korekiyo’s hair crept steadily toward the missile to the right.

He was close to grabbing it when the centermost missile began to morph. It gracefully melted into Kirumi. She politely bowed to her opponent, a soft smile unfurling across her lips. “You are quite intelligent. If I may ask, how did you figure out which one was me?”

“A simple hypothesis,” Korekiyo answered. “I acted under the presumption that you chose the center position as a means of distraction.”

Kirumi nodded in understanding. “I suppose we must battle now,” she sighed. “You seem to be a decent sir. I hate to defeat you.” She stepped forward.

“You seem quite formidable yourself,” Korekiyo’s eyes seemed to light up as he followed suit. “I hate to be defeated.”

Kirumi made the first move by transforming into a cinder block and landing on the longer bits of Korekiyo’s hair. His eyes squinted as he winced, but gave no further reaction. He simply leaned down and lifted the block and...chucked it to the side.

Kirumi groaned as she fell to the ground. She rubbed her head and glared at Korekiyo.

She lunged at Korekiyo as her arm transformed into a sword. Korekiyo easily evaded her attack and kicked her legs out from under her.

“You are much stronger than I would have expected,” Kirumi grunted. Her right hand began to morph.

“I’ve studied extensively on many types of combat,” Korekiyo’s eyes gleamed maliciously. His hair moved toward her waist.

Kirumi’s hand transformation completed, and she cut at clumps of Korekiyo’s hair with the newly formed scissors.

He gave no visible reaction, but it was clear that Korekiyo was angered. His movements became more erratic and less planned out. He regrew the fallen bits of rope-hair and reached for Kirumi.

Korekiyo’s hair wrapped tightly around Kirumi’s waist, reatraining her hands behind her. “Kukuku,” he chuckled. “I’d love to study you further. Humanity is filled with such beautiful powers.” Korekiyo drew Kirumi closer to his hungry eyes. “I’d like to examine everyone more closely, and pull out everything that makes them beautiful.”

Kirumi gave Korekiyo a polite smile. “I understand your request, but I’m afraid I cannot oblige at the moment, considering I have an arrangement to crush you in battle.” That being said, Kirumi promptly transformed herself into a long string of thin gray yarn.

The yarn slipped out of Korekiyo’s grasp, and Kirumi transformed herself into an old timey stockade with splintering wood.

Korekiyo quickly recovered from Kirumi’s surprising move. He kicked at the stockade, which toppled over and shot tiny pieces of rotted debris at his arms.

While he was distracted, Kirumi transformed her arms into noodly ropes and twisted them around Korekiyo’s legs, making him fall over. Almost immediately, Korekiyo wrapped his own hair around Kirumi. Both were entangled in each other’s hair, to the point where both were immobile.

All was silent for a solid minute. We waited to see if either one would free themselves.

When nothing happened, Daisaku reached for the intercom. “...We are going to call this match a draw and set up the next one, if that’s okay?”

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The next round was already underway. Iruma marched carelessly into the building, followed closely by Ouma and Angie. “Heeeeey!” Iruma called out loudly. “Come out, come out, wherever you are, ya puny shits! Come lose to the fucking hero genius, Miu Iruma!”

“Atua suggests we stay quiet,” Angie warned. “Atua says we should find the criminals and swiftly deliver their punishment!” She giggled cheerfully.

“Ni-shishishi~!” Ouma grinned. His interlocked hands rested on the back of his head as he sauntered forward. “This is gonna be tons of fun! I’m excited to play!”

As this battle’s heroes continued, we turned to the cameras placed on the top floor, where the villain team was centered.

Maki leaned in the doorway, using her heightened raccoon hearing to eavesdrop on the heroes. She shook her head in disappointment. “The point of a sneak attack is to quietly surprise your victim.”

Saihara, who was pacing back and forth nearby, said, “They’re really an unexpected team. I don’t believe they will work out well. I have a hypothesis on their battle plan.”

Maki’s head tilted to the side in curiosity. “Oh?” Her fluffy tail twitched at the end.

“Given their normal behaviors and the nature of their Quirks,” Saihara began. He stopped pacing. “Ouma will likely take control of both Iruma and Angie. Iruma’s Quirk is the ability to transform into steam, so she will likely be used as a diversion. Angie has a multitude of powerful attacks, so she will be the one we need to actually fight. I propose we first apprehend her before going after Ouma.”

“I’d rather attack Ouma first,” Maki told him.

“Ah,” Saihara looked down at the floor, rubbing his arm self-consciously. “Ok, if you want. W...We should try to find them, though. A sneak attack may improve our odds.”

Thanks to the combined skills of Maki’s hearing and Saihara’s knowledge of the building setup, the team quickly found the heroes.

“A-hahahaha!” Iruma cackled. “You filthy whores! Get ready to lose to the gorgeous girl genius, Miu Iruma!”

Saihara simply stared at Iruma as Maki scraped her claws against the wall as a means of intimidation.

It seemed like Iruma was going to attack until her eyes went dull. She seemed to disassociate from her body, and it didn’t seem like she was in charge anymore. Nearby, I could hear Kiibo sigh.

It looked like she exploded into a puff of steam, which hovered above the two teams. It was just as Saihara had predicted.

Saihara and Maki coughed and retreated slightly to get out of the way of the steam. Ouma and Angie couldn’t be seen.

Saihara squinted and tried to find their opponents. Maki crept closer to the wall, and...began to climb up one of the bare beams attached to the wall in order to get a better view.

“Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh?!?!?!?!”

A confused cry rang from amidst the smoke. Maki paused teetering on the top of the beam. Her nose twitched curiously. Saihara continued to try to peer into the steam.

Then, a figure majestically rose above the steam. A sharp green feather shot at Saihara, and wedged itself into the smooth tile.

“Ya-ha~!” Angie smiled at Saihara. “For Atua’s sake, Angie must eliminate the both of you!” Angie flew toward Maki at a tremendous speed. Seeing the attack, Maki retaliated by jumping toward the girl. The two collided in midair, and disappeared into the steam.

“Maki!” Saihara called out. I could see concern on his face, but I also saw fear. He looked like he wanted to move forward, but his legs were glued to the tile floor.

I guess an epic fight was going on. Too bad we can’t see it. The only evidence of anything going on was the sound of fists smacking flesh, the sounds of ‘oof’s that followed, and, eventually, a grunt that ended it all.

Silence. I stepped closer to the monitor, trying to find any inkling of what might’ve happened. But there was nothing. Iruma’s steam covered whatever fight took place. Saihara stood petrified and uncertain. His face gave no hint of the results.

But then, the steam began to clear. It whipped and whirled around, battering Saihara right in the face. Iruma’s body reformed as she tumbled to the ground right behind him. ”Ugh...” she groaned, rubbing her temples with her forefingers.

Ouch. I emphasized with her pain. Escaping Ouma’s control was a bewildering feeling.

We all were fixated on where Angie and Maki had fought. There, we saw Angie towering over Maki, who was holding her arm. A slender green feather was stabbed into her arm, and a small, steady stream of blood trickled down her arm, staining her shirtsleeve.

Ouma sat a little ways behind the two, and he was crying furiously. “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” He sputtered. “Nothing’s going riiiiiiiiiiiiight!”

“Nya-haha!” Angie laughed gleefully, holding an orange feather in one hand, and a pair of rubber handcuffs in the other. She promptly clamped on end onto Maki’s wrist. “By Atua’s will, I’ve captured you!”

Angie’s wings fluttered as she moved towards Saihara, dragging the injured Maki behind her by the handcuffs. “Now for you, Shuichi!”

Saihara fearfully swung at Angie. Unfortunately, she was too quick for him. She grabbed his hand and pressed on his wrist. It was only a matter of seconds before Saihara collapsed, fast asleep. Angie clipped the other handcuff onto his wrist.

The battle was over. The heroes won.

Despite the victory, Ouma still cried. “Waaaaaah!” He wailed. “She figured out the secret to my Controoooooooooooooooooooool!” He pointed a trembling finger at Angie, who smiled obliviously.

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Breathe in, breathe out. It’s my turn now. I felt my fingers twitch nervously as I walked with Kiibo toward the building. We carried a surprisingly heavy paper-mache missile between us. An awkward silence stitched our mouths closed as we took shelter in an abandoned room.

The inside was cramped with cobweb-covered boxes, and wide support beams that held up the roof. The only source of light was the two weathered four-panel windows on the far wall.

I helped Kiibo place the missile in the center of the room. As soon as it was settled, he went to work fiddling with his bionic wrist. “I’m having trouble fulfilling the ‘villain’ mindset,” Kiibo informed me. “But, I’m willing to try my best!”

“Haha, yeah,” I chuckled awkwardly. I sighed quietly before I said anything more. “Hey, I’m sorry you were paired with me. But I promise that I’ll try to not get in your way.”

Kiibo gave me a weird look. “I’m afraid I don’t understand why you’re apologizing.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ll be any use in this fight,” I shrugged as I spoke. I’d already accepted my fate at this point.

“You’re unreasonably pessimistic,” Kiibo told me, looking up from his wrist. “People can do anything we set our minds to!” He gave me an encouraging smile.

“You really think so?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes,” Kiibo answered simply. “Look where you are right now. You are a student of Hope’s Peak Academy. You wouldn’t be standing here right now if you weren’t a suitable potential hero. It’s the same with me.” He held his bionic wrist up for me to get a closer look. It looked highly complex, and super shiny. “People often tell me that I don’t have a real Quirk, and I believe they are right. But, at the same time, they are incorrect. My abilities may not be natural, but they are still mine to master.

“The same could be said for you. You must find what you are good at, and work to be the very best!” Kiibo looked down at his wrist once more. “It’s also important to have friends that support you. Did you know that Iruma creates all of my parts? She upgraded this gun last night! My point is, you need others who believe in you, but you also need to believe in yourself.”

“I guess you’re right,” I looked around the room. “You’re...strangely good at giving advice. Thanks, Kiibo.”

“Really?” Kiibo rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I simply used a few calculations to determine the correct method of comforting you.” He chuckled.

“Oh...” Suddenly, his sentiments became less meaningful.

Our conversation was cut off by a sudden beeping noise coming from one of Kiibo’s parts. He perked up, “That must be Hoshi and Chiaki. I put tiny trackers on Chiaki’s backpack and Hoshi’s hat. Time to fight.”

“Isn’t that against the rules?” I asked him.

“I’m unsure,” Kiibo admitted. “But, don’t worry, Hajime.” He cocked the gun attachment on his wrist. “If you want, you can stay here. That may be our best mode of action.” Those were Kiibo’s last words before running right out the door.

With an annoyed grunt, I plopped onto one of the boxes. My elbow dug into my knee as I rested my head on my hand. I had expected to be sidelined, but I was still disappointed. [Bleep]! Why can I never get the opportunity to prove myself?!

I felt...worthless...and...out of place. I would only be in Kiibo’s way if I went out and helped. But, if I left the room, I would only be a liability. If only I had a Quirk. If only I could do something to help out. If only, if only, if only-

“Hajime.”

I was shaken out of my head by someone mumbling my name. I looked up to see Chiaki staring intently at me. “Oh, Chiaki, hey.”

“Hey.”

“...Are...we supposed to fight now?”

“...Yeah. I think.”

“Oh...ok...” I stood up. Unsure of what to do, I held my fists up toward her.

“Oh...we’re doing this then,” Chiaki tilted her head to the side and tightened her grip on the straps of her pale pink knapsack. Right in front of me appeared the pixelated form of a lime green velociraptor. It squawked, and I saw it’s brittle, yellowing square teeth.

As I stared at the creature in front of me, more objects developed in my peripheral vision. More [bleep] velociraptors. “Did you watch Jurassic World recently?”

“Last night,” Chiaki replied. “After you all left my house.”

“I see.” I admired the velociraptor in front of me one last time before I swiftly socked it in the face. The creature bled imaginary blood and squealed as it disintegrated. With a stroke of confidence, I continued to punch the velociraptors.

As the last dino shattered, I turned to look at Chiaki, ready for her next move.

But, I wasn’t expecting to see Chiaki with her head stuck in her gaming console. “Really?” I asked. “Right now?‘

“...I need inspiration,” she told me.

So, I waited. And waited. And waited. But nothing else appeared for me.

I took a step toward her. There was no sign that she noticed me. I took another step. A pixelated yellow ball formed in front of Chiaki. She kicked it toward me. I watched as it crumbled at my feet. I sighed dejectedly. And here I thought she believed in me.

There were footsteps nearby. I watched as Kiibo entered the room, carrying Hoshi on his back. “I am afraid I went a bit too far...”

“Is he dead?!” I exclaimed.

“No,” he answered calmly. “Just unconscious. Oh, Chiaki is still here.” Kiibo’s attention shifted to the girl.

No reaction from Chiaki.

I reached for Chiaki, grabbed her by the shoulders, and led her to one of the multiple boxes. I sat her down. “So...do we win?” I looked to Kiibo.

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Entering the safe room was a strange sensation. I only saw streaks of color. I barely heard the empty ‘congratulations,’ or the ‘good jobs’ from the other students. My mind was empty. Sure, I can fake a smile, nod and laugh. But, sadly, all I felt was disappointment in myself, knowing that Chiaki let me win.

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“Aw, man, that sounds like fun!” Kazuichi grinned. “I wish we could’ve done that!” To anybody else, he may have seemed genuine. But I know my friend, and I can tell that something is wrong. It’s been like that for a while, pretty much since school started. I’ve ignored it for too long; I need to find out what’s wrong with Kazuichi.

“And Hajime won his fight!” I tuned in to the end of the conversation, where Naegi was explaining the day’s events to Kazuichi.

“Really?” Kazuichi turned to me. “Nice! See, I knew you could do it!”

Chiaki looked up from her game. “Tonight,” she said. “...my mom has set up the fireplace. We can roast marshmallows, if you guys want to...”

“Sounds fun,” I told her before Kazuichi could react. “But Kazuichi and I are gonna go home tonight.”

“Wh-What?!” Kazuichi glared at me, as if he were trying to telepathically motivate me to change my answer. “But, Hajime! Marshmallows...”

“I’m gonna spend the night at your house tonight,” I said to Kazuichi firmly. He was quick to submit.

We parted ways with our friends, promising to hang out tomorrow. I made sure to stay close to Kazuichi on our walk to his house, so he wouldn’t be tempted to run after the others for marshmallows.

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It’s been awhile since I actually entered Kazuichi’s house. I’d forgotten how cozy and cluttered it was. Spare parts always littered the hallways. It was easy to trip and fall at any given moment. There was just something about the house that always left a happy feeling in my heart. It was such a homely atmosphere.

I smile as I heard a familiar pitter-pattering down the hallway. I watched as Scraps hurtled towards us.

Scraps was arguably the best thing in Kazuichi’s life. He was one of his first creations. We had recently discovered his Quirk, and we had been eager to try it out. We took a broken microwave and a desk lamp and created Scraps. Usually, Kazuichi’s creations left after they served their purpose, but not Scraps. He always remained loyal to Kazuichi.

Scraps’ tail wagged aggressively as he greeted the two of us. “Hey buddy,” I mumbled happily as I rubbed his lampy head. He followed us into the den.

For a good part of the evening, Kazuichi and I were crouched on the couch watching a collection of our favorite Pixar movies. Scraps lay in between us with his head on Kazuichi’s lap. Man, it always blew me away how much that dog loved him. It was almost like Scraps was sentient. His unwavering devotion and love for Kazuichi was fascinating.

The credits were rolling. “Why did you decide to do this, Hajime?” Kazuichi inquired behind a faceful of tears. Wall-E always made him cry.

“I dunno,” I shrugged. “Am I not allowed to spend some time with my best friend?”

“We spend all of our free time together,” Kazuichi retorted. “There’s some sort of ulterior motive behind this little get-together, isn’t there?”

“...Yeah...” I admitted. “Ever since school started, you’ve been acting differently. You seem scared all the time. Is something wrong?”

I felt Kazuichi bristle beside me. “Nothing’s wrong, Hajime. Why would you think that?”

“I can tell something is wrong,” I pressed. “Just let me help you.”

“There’s nothing wrong!” Kazuichi punched the armrest of the couch, causing Scraps to lift his head.

Kazuichi calmed himself before continuing. “Don’t worry about me, dude. But...I think it’s time for you to go.” Kazuichi’s eyes began to fill with tears once more, but I don’t think it was because of the movie. He had a completely different aura. It was his eyes. They were blank. There was no color in them.

“What?” I said incredulously.

“I’m asking you to leave, Hajime,” he stared at me blankly. “Please, I just wanna be alone for now.”

I couldn’t stand to look at him like this. “Fine.” I stood slowly. I gave Scraps one last pat on the head as I began to head for the door.

No, don’t leave! Stay, please stay! I’m begging you, don’t leave! Everything would be fine if you just stay!!

I didn’t look back as I said, “Bye, Kazuichi,” and exited his house.

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	5. Chapter 5

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Bang!

Where...am I? My eyes are open, yet I can’t see. My ears are awake, yet I can’t hear. My lungs are clear, yet I can’t breathe. There’s nothing here. It’s as if I’m floating in the abyss of space, where nothing is everywhere and nowhere, all at once.

I lift my hand to feel something, anything. My fingers brush against some kind of felt fabric. A streak of dark red floods my senses. I move forward to rest in the puffy chair that I can’t feel, but I somehow know is there. Or isn’t there. I know I move somewhere, or nowhere, or stretch in multiple directions, all at once.

Bang! Bangbangbangbang!

Images press onto my brain. I can feel them, I can see them, I know I am them at some point. Past, present, future, it’s all here, right now. I don’t get a clear grasp on any image, but I remember things nonetheless.

Bang!

I don’t understand what’s happening. I don’t know if I have the ability to understand all of this, or none of this, or whatever it is.

Bang!

Something in me stirred. I needed to find someone.

Chiaki.

Saihara.

Naegi.

Kazuichi.

Is anyone else here? Wherever here is? Is anyone anywhere? Or nowhere?

I hope no one is here. No one needs to be in this hell that was seemingly conjured just for me.

Bang!

I am nothing. Nothing is here, and nothing will change. I’m stuck, with no hope of escape.

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Everything was quiet when I awoke. I was surprised to find myself puddled in my own sweat on the floor amidst a sea of blankets.

“...What?” I rubbed my head in confusion. What had happened last night? All I could remember was Kazuichi throwing me out of his house, and then crashing immediately as soon as I settled into my own bed.

I untangled myself from the blankets and remade my bed. As I smoothed out the corners, I just so happened to look over at Kazuichi’s house through my little window. From where I stood, I could see only the backyard and a bit of the porch, before I was blocked by the walls. Typically, the grass was bright green, and the lawn chairs were placed neatly around the concrete fireplace. The worktools would be nearby, some leaning against the wall of the shed, others on the patio table.

But today, the backyard seemed to be slightly messier. It was almost like the grass was...stained...by some mysterious, unnatural material. The tools that normally leaned against the shed were strewn about, and I found that one was missing. At the time, I couldn’t tell which one, but I could just tell that that was the case.

There was also something about the aura of the house that was unsettling. I figured I would hear the usual morning sounds emanating from the cheerful household; the sounds of bacon sizzling on a pan, the hustle of Kazuichi getting ready for school, even the mechanical clangs from the workshop, where Kazuichi’s dad would always get an early start on the day’s work.

But today, there was nothing.

I looked over at the clock on my bedside table. 6:15. Nope, I didn’t wake up earlier today. I took one last look out the window, and decided to see what was up.

I hurried to get ready, and left the house before eating breakfast. I strolled over to Kazuichi’s, pretending that everything was a-okay.

Knock, knock, knock.

I admittedly felt a bit awkward knocking on this door. In the mornings, it was usually the other way around. Besides, this was the house I had only recently been kicked out of.

There was no answer.

Knock. Knockknockknock.

I waited. And waited. There was still no answer.

Beginning to feel desperate, I reached into my bag and pulled out my keys. I fiddled with them until I found the one I was looking for, and stuck it in the door. I had recieved this key a few years ago. Kazuichi’s dad had joked that I was ‘here so often, you might as well be apart of the family!’

I was surprised to taste salt in my mouth from the tears that had began to fall down my face, without permission, I may add. I placed my fingers on one of the streams, startled by how real it was. “Shit, Kazuichi, why must you worry me like this?” I muttered to myself as I forcefully pulled the door open.

“Hello?” I called, making sure my presence was known. My call was returned with silence.

I tried again. “Hey, Kazuichi? You here?” I began to hop up the stairs to his room, which resided in the attic. He had fought tooth and claw with his parents to get that space for himself. Winning the attic was one of his more proud moments. “Did you oversleep? That’s not like you! You know your dad’ll be pissed!” There was still no answer. Not from Kazuichi nor from his parents.

My concern grew exponentially when the realization hit me: Scraps hadn’t greeted me at the door. Because he was technically abiotic, Scraps didn’t go on walks like normal dogs. In fact, he refused to step outside the house, besides the backyard. Scraps preferred to spend his time by the front door, or in the kitchen; he apparently liked to be the protector of the house.

If Scraps was in the house, I most definitely would’ve seen him by now. I wracked my brain for ideas of where he could be. But I was too frazzled to properly come up with any sound ideas.

I quickened my pace up the stairs. I scoured the attic frantically, but Kazuichi was nowhere to be seen.

“Kazuichi!” I tried my best to force it down, but my voice still came out shaky as hell. I hurried back down the stairs and began to investigate the rest of the house.

“Hey!” I tried to be more assertive in hopes that I would persuade somebody--anybody--to reveal themselves. “Is anybody here? C’mon, it’s me, Haji-”

There they are. Oh God, there they are.

My body went numb. My peripheral vision faded away, forcing me to stare at the fearful scene that lay in front of me. In the doorway, I noticed the first specks of sparkly blood dewdrops resting on the shaggy carpet. I tentatively peered through the doorway. Leaning against the bed, was Kazuichi’s dad, a bullet right through the center of his forehead. His mouth lay agape, startled by his injury. Blood mixed with the tears that fell from his open eyes. His eyes...they were so blank. They were bloodshot, and he stared right through me, sending chills down my spine. The blood around the central wound had already crusted over. Small clumps of blood, brains, and bone were pressed onto the bed frame and blankets, and slid between the folds of his work shirt.

Just above him, Kazuichi’s mom rested on the bed so peacefully. The poor lady never even had a chance. She had been shot point blank, she likely died instantly. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought she were just sleeping. Her hands were pale, and they lay protectively over her chest. She was already ready to be laid to rest. There was even a sweet smile on her stained lips. She must've been excited for tomorrow. But now she didn't get a tomorrow. They both have been robbed of everything their lives could've been.

This has to be fake. This is some sort of TV set, and I’m being pranked. This can’t be happening.

I was now glad that I hadn’t eaten breakfast. If I had, it would’ve all reappeared on the linoleum floors of the hallway.

Thoughts were passing by my brain before I could properly process them all. My brain refused to accept what I had stumbled across. These people were like a second family to me, and this has happened to them? This? This is the kind of thing you see on the news, the kind of thing where you feel pity on the bereaved, but you force yourself to believe that it’ll never happen to you.

I couldn’t hear anymore, couldn’t see. Couldn’t feel my hands pressed firmly on the tile, only barely holding myself up. My head was fuzzy; I felt like I was going to faint. I’m pretty sure I screamed, but I didn’t even really notice my mouth move.

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“Please don’t make me go,” I pleaded quietly. The police gave me a small mug of hot chocolate, like that would help anything. “I don’t wanna leave them.”

The officer gave me an understanding smile. “I know, son, but it would be easier for everyone if you be a good boy and go to school. If needed, we can give you a ride.”

I didn’t want to go to school. I had to find who killed my best friend’s parents and presumably kidnapped him and his dog. I couldn’t do that if I were stuck in a classroom, obediently following orders as if there weren’t bigger issues going on in the world!

The occasional teardrop landed in the cup of hot chocolate, swirling the froth. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve again. “...fine...” Better to obey for now, and start investigating myself when I got home.

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I was about a half an hour late to class. I halfheartedly barged into the room, trudging to my seat. I could feel the eyes of my classmates and my teacher burning holes through my flesh, leaving my soul at their mercy.

I was likely a sight to behold. I rubbed my nose against my shirtsleeve as I settled into my seat. My eyes felt dry; they were all cried out. They were undoubtedly all red and puffy.

I couldn’t pay attention to anything. Daisaku was giving a lecture on something or other, and the others were attempting to interrogate me. ‘What happened?’ ‘What’s up?’ ‘Did something happen?’ Why couldn’t they just leave me alone. It’s better to pretend that everything’s normal for the time being.

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“C’mon, man!” Kaito groaned, placing his hand firmly on the table. He had joined us today for lunch, occupying Kazuichi’s seat.

I continued to pick at my rice with my fork and sighed heavily. “...Don’t worry about me, guys.” I tried to give them a clearly fake smile, but my gravelly voice revealed my true inner turmoil.

“Hajime,” Kaito stared at me more assertively. “We can all tell that something is wrong. People usually aren’t allowed into class late, so what happened to you this morning?”

To my dismay, I felt the tears returning. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the others back off, just a little bit.

There was an awkward silence. Then; “...Is it about Kazuichi?” Saihara inquired quietly.

I looked up at him, startled. “How did you know that?”

Saihara appeared hesitant. He glanced at the others for permission. Naegi nodded gently. Chiaki paused her game for once and gazed at me attentively. Kaito followed suit, but something about his behavior led me to assume that he was just as far in the dark as I was. Saihara sighed worriedly before telling me, “Class 1-C, they’ve all gone missing. They seemingly disappeared into thin air last night. I’m sorry, I assumed you already knew.”

“Disappeared?” I repeated, horrified. How could they just up and disappear like that? I thought I was with Kazuichi for a good majority of the night, how could he just go away like that? “I don’t understand...”

“Yeah, it was the talk of the town on the news all this morning,” Naegi added. “Even more worrying, there was a terrifying amount of casualties in the homes of most if not all of the homes of the missing students...” he drifted off. I had begun to tear up again. “Hajime?” Naegi reached to lay his hand on my shoulder. “What’s wrong? Don’t worry, you can tell us.”

“Kazuichi’s parents,” I sputtered, not wishing to relive this morning’s happenings so soon. “This morning, when I was looking for him, I found them...I found them in the house, they were...” I couldn’t finish. I covered my face in my hands, embarrassed to be bearing my soul in front of others, even in these circumstances.

“Oh...” Saihara mumbled upon realization. I felt him scooch away an inch. “I’m...sorry...”

“That’s terrible,” Naegi continued to rub my shoulder sympathetically. “If there’s anything we can do, just let us know.”

“...” Chiaki turned down to her game. Her expression seemed tense. “It’s going to be alright, Hajime. There has to be a reason that everything’s happening. It’s no coincidence that all of the morning’s events happened essentially simultaneously. Once that is discovered, the killer or killers can be discovered and we can all begin to heal. I think.”

I couldn’t help but smile a touch at that. Sometimes I was surprised by her philosophical side.

I hadn’t noticed that Kaito and Saihara had switched seats until I was already within Kaito’s bear-like grip. “Hajime!” He gripped my shoulders tightly, forcing me to look straight into his stern eyes. “Listen to me! You gotta be strong! Stay strong for the ones you love! That’s what it means to be a hero! Staying strong is the most important thing you need to do right now!”

At this point, Kaito was shaking me back and forth. “R-Right,” I stammered, beginning to turn dizzy.

“Ah, Kaito,” Saihara pointed out hesitantly.

“What?” Kaito returned obliviously. He turned back to me, realizing what he was doing. He hurriedly removed his hands from my shoulders. “Oh, shoot, sorry, man.” He smiled awkwardly.

I waited to get my bearings back before replying; “No worries.”

“...Let’s focus on something else for now,” Chiaki interjected unexpectedly. “I think...Hajime could use a distraction.”

“Chiaki’s right!” Naegi perked up. “Guys, don’t you remember? Bandai told us this morning that we’re going on a field trip today!”

“Really?” I asked curiously. “When did he say that?”

“Before you got here,” Naegi informed me. “He told us we were going right after lunch!”

“To the Hope’s Peak Rescue Training Facility, right?” Saihara continued.

“Yeah!” Naegi nodded eagerly. “According to Bandai, it’s a large building that simulates multiple kinds of tragedies so we can practice rescue missions!” As he spoke, Naegi became increasingly more animated, almost falling out of his seat at least twice.

I let another half smile sneak across my lips. “I’m guessing you wanna be a rescuer when you grow up?”

“Mm-hm!” Naegi nodded. “Ever since I was little, that has always been what I wanted to do! I just really like the idea of helping others, and saving lives is an awesome way to do it!”

“It’s very noble, too,” Saihara nodded in approval.

“Yeah!” Kaito shouted in agreement. “It takes a lot of physical and mental strength to save others!”

“Yeah, I guess,” Naegi chuckled sheepishly.

Silence consumed us as we continued to eat our lunch in mutual content. We all rushed to finish our food, throw away our trash, and dash to the classroom to begin our school trip.

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“This is a state of the art facility, with six current rescue zones that update every day!” Daisaku explained to us. He guided us through the central plaza of the Hope’s Peak Rescue Training Facility. “We also hope to build even more amazing facilities like this in the future to ensure the proper training of the heroes of the future!”

“I feel like a museum tourist...” Hoshi commented under his breath.

Angie fluttered above the group, the air from her massive wings tussling our hair and clothes. “Nya-haha~!” Her arms were outstretched as she floated through the breeze. “How fun! Angie can rescue people with Atua’s assistance! Isn’t Atua amazing?”

“Yeah, sure,” I mumbled absentmindedly.

We stopped right at the base of the central room, in the doorway of the entrance. “Now,” Bandai announced proudly. “Before we continue, I’d like to introduce a very good friend of mine! He is the main instructor of this facility. It’s Pro Hero and skillful protector Great Gozu!”

I held my breath in anticipation as I watched a figure barge toward us. From the shadows emerged Great Gozu in the flesh.

He wasn’t as famous these days, but in his prime, Great Gozu was a terrific rescuer. The man never hesitated to climb into burning buildings, traverse through rubble, or outrun tornadoes for the sake of others. His bull-like appearance was fearful at first, but once you look past it, he was really the epitome of greatness.

“You over exaggerate,” Gozu’s ear flicked back. He made his way to our group, and the two teachers shared an epic bro hug.

As they parted, Daisaku grinned. “I’m not! Don’t think so low of yourself! Like they always say, ‘the buffalo only knows its greatness when in the colosseum.’”

Gozu’s nostrils flared, and his eyes flicked from side to side distractedly. “Yes, of course. Let’s not wait here anymore, I think it’s time we begin.” Gozu whipped around and headed further inside.

Daisaku likely sensed Gozu’s unease as well, because he was quick to usher us into the main room.

“What do you think’s going on?” I leaned over to the closest person to me, which was Kaito.

He shrugged. “Who knows. But don’t worry about it. We’ve got two Pro Heroes with us, we’re totally safe!”

I wasn’t as confident as he was. I sighed and continued on as directed.

Great Gozu stopped us in the center of the central room. “Today, you will have the chance to visit all six rooms. For now, we will group you up in teams of three and randomly assign you to a room.”

Daisaku stepped forward. “First up is Himiko, Hajime, and-”

“I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”

A stranger’s voice came to us from seemingly nowhere. The doors to the simulation dorms simultaneously slammed shut and the central room darkened. The only source of light came from the skylights that were spread around sporadically.

Angie floated down, landing directly behind Kaito and I. “Huh? What’s that?”

She pointed to the front of our small group. I didn’t see anything at first. Then, a mist faded in and swirled in an enclosed space a few yards in front of us. Once the opaque smoke was wide enough, people began crawling through its depths like zombies. I couldn’t help but feel like they looked familiar...

“Hajime, is that Kazuichi?” Saihara pointed to one of the figures in the distance.

“What?” I squinted to get a better view. Holy shit. Kazuichi crept out of the mist. His eyes looked faded and he wore pieces of nonmatching armor, complete with a strange chestplate. He held a large axe in his hands, and I noticed a gun hooked onto his belt loops. “Kazuichi? What-?”

“It’s Class 1-C!” Daisaku exclaimed frantically. “We need to get out of here, now!” He tried to usher us away, but was tossed out of the way by some unnoticeable force.

“Calm down, they won’t hurt you,” the girl’s voice reached us once more. “Not unless you anger them.”

“Who the fuck are you?!” Kaito shouted bravely.

The girl stepped closer to us, so we could see her better. She had long strawberry blonde hair spilling out of pigtails, and had striking blue eyes. Her most notable feature were her hands. They hung limply from her arms, and were heavily scarred and stitches lined up along her wrist. It didn’t seem like her hands could function anymore. I couldn’t see them move at all. “Who am I?” She clicked her tongue maliciously and winked at us. “Upupupu! I am Junko fuckin' Enoshima! The New World Destroyer!” She cackled.

Right behind Junko were two young men, who were presumably her henchmen. The one on the left was tall and shabbily dressed. There were dark bags under his eyes, and his collar shirt was messily tucked into his slacks. He rubbed his temples and groaned in annoyance.

In contrast, the guy on the right appeared much more nervous. He also had bags under his eyes, even darker than the other guys, and this one’s hair was blond. He was also much shorter than the other two, and had a slightly hunched back. He held what looked like a paintbrush in his right hand.

“What is this?!” Daisaku asked loudly.

Surprisingly, Junko began to happily squeal and point to Daisaku. “Ohmigosh, look Yasuke, look Mitarai, it’s the Justice Farmer! Oh, and I can see Great Gozu, too!” She pointed to Gozu and continued to fangirl heavily. “Oh, it’s such a honor to meet the both of you! Oh God, I’m speechless!” Junko began to flap her hands around in an attempt to fan herself.

“Miss,” Gozu attempted to reason with the girl. “Why have you come here? This place should be practically impenetrable.”

Junko laughed again. “Oh, silly!” She cooed. “I’m here to kill you all, of course! I can’t have you and your little students wrecking my plans!” She shrugged nonchalantly, her hands folding at awkward angles that shouldn’t be possible.

“What?!” Kaito tried to lunge toward Junko, but was held back by Daisaku and Maki. “Let me go! I’m not gonna just stand here and let her talk! We have to fight her!”

“You aren’t going to do anything,” Gozu warned him. “You lot are far too inexperienced. Please, let us take care of this.”

“You’re totally right, Great Gozu!” Junko called. “In fact, let’s get these fuckers outta here!” She nodded to one of the guys, who I believe was Mitarai.

He hesitantly held up his hand, holding the paintbrush. I watched him take a shaky breath before quickly swiping his hand down.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

I woke up in a frenzy. Immediately, I was attacked by an onslaught of wind delivering spiky rain to my face. I buried my face in my hands as I awkwardly pushed myself into a sitting position with my elbows. “What the hell?”

“So you’re finally up,” a voice came from above me, shielding me from the harsh rain. I looked up. It was Maki and Angie. Angie’s wings were spread as far as they could go, taking the blow of the environment.

“Yeah,” I rubbed my face with my sleeve. I noticed Maki holding a hand out to me. I grabbed it and she pulled me to my feet with surprising strength. “Where are we?”

“Given the terrain, I’d say we’re in the Downpour Zone,” Maki informed me. “One of the simulation domes. It houses constant high winds and powerful rain.”

“I see,” I replied thoughtfully. That Mitarai guy must have some kind of teleportation Quirk. He split us up into different domes, but what for?

“Uh-oh!” Angie laughed, looking just past me. “It seems we have company!”

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆


	6. Chapter 6

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

“Hey,” Someone shook me awake. “Hey, wake up, stupid.”

I lay immobile for a moment, in an attempt to recover my bearings. My muscles tensed up as I shifted under my blankets. My eyelids uneasily lifted to show my unwelcome visitor. Upon the reveal, I placed my arm over my eyes and let out a small, disturbed groan.

I could hear his discontent. The shuffling of fabric told me that he had either crossed his arms, or had moved farther from my head. “Yeah, yeah,” he scoffed. “I’m not too happy about this, either.”

I recoiled in shock as I felt the blankets forcefully yanked off me. My legs tucked closer to me as my muscles tensed in retaliation to the unexpected cold.

He laughed teasingly, as he usually does when he’s here. I felt the bed sink in as he sat by my hips. “Cold, huh?" To my dismay, I felt his slender finger poke my thigh painfully close to-

Oh, please, no.

I self-consciously hoisted myself up to a sitting position and clenched my fists on my lap.

That only seemed to make him laugh more. “Ouch, touched a nerve there, didn’t I?” He smirked.

I glared at him groggily. “I thought you only came here at night? What brings you here now?” I inquired, cringing internally when I realized I was infected with ‘morning voice.’

“What, you don’t enjoy my company? Man, and I’ve come to enjoy watching you sleep. You’re like a dainty little princess.” Yasuke returned my gaze, feigning offense. He chuckled again, before shifting to a more serious tone. “Saihara, I don’t think you understand the importance of my visit today.”

I scratched my neck uncomfortably. He had visited me for at least five nights consecutively recently. I couldn’t even begin to fathom the increased importance of his presence. “Then do you mind filling me in?”

“You’re supposed to be smart, right?” Yasuke raised an eyebrow at me. He pointed to the corner of his mouth. “You’ve got some drool there, genius.”

I quickly wiped the drool from my chin with my forearm, convinced that this encounter couldn’t possibly get any more awkward.

Yasuke appeared increasingly amused by my discomfort. “Our time of action has come, Princess,” he leaned closer to me as a means of intimidation. “And you still haven’t given me the answers I want.”

I scooted back until I felt the back of my head bump against my wall. That action immediately backfired, as Yasuke only drew closer, and planted his hand on the wall, pressing down on my hair in the process. There was no escape for me at this point. “...I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” He snapped. A shiver travelled down my spine as he gripped my hair more forcefully. He had to take a few deep breaths before continuing. “I imagine you know what’s going to happen now?”

“I have a hypothesis,” I answered timidly.

I received a half smirk from Yasuke. His eyes shifted to my balcony door. I was tempted to follow his gaze. Standing on my balcony was a strange man I had no recollection of ever seeing, and he held some sharp object at his side. “You’re going to let me inside that head of yours,” Yasuke informed me. “Or else I’m going to have to do something you won’t like.”

I was quick to put two and two together. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.” Yasuke returned dully. Without giving me a chance to react, he snapped his fingers.

The stranger stepped closer. He held the rusty saw up to his neck. “H...Help me,” He stared at me pleadingly. “I don’t wanna die...I don’t wanna die!” He chanted repeatedly. The man slid the saw into his neck over and over again, the blood splattering on the glass door and onto the wooden floor. For the most part, I was saved from having to watch the wound grow, but I was unfortunately stuck with the horrifying sounds of his screams and pleads. Finally, he plopped in a heap on the pool of blood he created.

I could only stare in utter fear. Yasuke really wasn’t joking around this time around. Oh God, I just caused a man to die!

“He was brainwashed,” Yasuke informed me. “He was completely at my mercy.”

“Not completely,” I corrected sadly. “He still had a bit of humanity in him.”

“Correct,” he nodded. “The boss has been trying to perfect that formula for a while now. She still doesn’t know that I’m the one that’s been messing with the research.”

“Why would you do that?”

Yasuke took a deep breath. “I don’t trust her with control over another person. I feel like I need to give them at least a chance at saving themselves.”

“But,” I thought out loud. “Doesn’t that just cause more pain for them?”

“Maybe so,” he shrugged carelessly. “But that’s not on me.”

My mind was frozen in a lake of regret, grief, and guilt when Yasuke spoke again. “You could’ve prevented that death.” He sounded more serious than usual. There wasn’t an inkling of his teasing self.

I tilted my head down and shame and shook it slowly from side to side. “No, I couldn’t,” I argued morosely. “There’s nothing I could’ve done to stop it. I’m useless as a hero.”

“Don’t say that,” he interjected. “At least you’re not a dirty villain like me. That blood’s not on your hands.”

“I’m even worse than a villain,” I realized. My voice wavered as I explained. “I’m betraying my friends; the real heroes.”

Yasuke stared at me thoughtfully. “Maybe so,” he spoke slowly. “But, you can prevent more deaths from happening. Just let me into your head.”

I was startled by his sudden vulnerability. I was overwhelmingly compelled to nod my consent.

He nodded in return. “I’ll try to make this as painless as possible.”

I had never seen Yasuke’s Quirk in action until that moment. I hadn’t expected it to be so grotesque. I watched horrified as his fingers elongated and whipped around my face. His fingers became little tubes that buried themselves into either side of my head. I winced in pain as I felt the tubes wriggling around, digging into my brain. Then, the sucking began. I squeaked and trembled; that was all my body could manage under the tremendous pain I felt. My body writhed without control, and I barely noticed my hands reach up and grip Yasuke’s wrist in a pitiful attempt to push him away. Images flashed before me. They were all memories, some I didn’t even know I had. They all centered around Hajime. There were scenes of us at the lunch table, playing video games at Chiaki’s, him giving me words of encouragement before a physical exam I would inevitably fail, last evening, when Hajime parted ways with us, Kazuichi in tow. That’s when it stopped. I took deep, shaky breaths as the pain went away. My mind felt numb, and I dully looked around. I felt sweat trickling down my forehead and onto my cheeks, dribbling down my chin and resting on my neck.

I released my grip on Yasuke’s wrist as I felt him back off. However as he tried to push himself off my bed, his hand landed right on my chest. I could’ve sworn I saw his face turn beet red, but, then again, that could be the fault of the colors spotting my vision.

I rested for approximately one minute before I felt well enough to push myself to the edge of my bed. My head was still pounding, but it was tolerable.

Yasuke paced at the foot of my bed, muttering ceaselessly under his breath. “Interesting...intriguing...yes...they’re friends...that puts a damper on the plan...or makes it even better...means less competition, right?”

“What?” I blinked twice in confusion. “They’re my friends before they’re my opponents. Please don’t hurt them. You guys are my problem. I thought no one else was going to be involved.”

“That may have been the case before,” he told me. “But the boss changed her plans. She’s taken a liking to that Hajime kid.” He turned and strolled closer, and took a seat on the bed next to me. “I can’t tell you what’ll happen, but just be careful. And don’t let yourself get brainwashed like the others.”

I had no response. Instead, I shakily headed to my closet, and snatched a clean shirt from a hangar. I began to stick my arms through the sleeves as Yasuke piped up. “Next time we see each other, I hope you’ve come to your senses and choose a side once and for all. You can’t live in both worlds. Either come with m...us, or stick with your friends and try to fight an impossible enemy.”

“Next time we see each other, I hope I have more clothes on,” I replied bluntly. Don’t tell me that. I know that. I just don’t want to have to choose. I don’t want this burden on me.

Yasuke looked me up and down, taking in my black boxers and unbuttoned shirt. He looked away. “Hmpf.”

I ignored him as I looked down to button my shirt. By the time I finished, he was already gone.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

~~Downpour Zone~~  
Ft. Hajime Hinata

Perfect. Fan freaking tastic.

I wasn’t all that eager to greet our unexpected guest. Still, I slowly turned and faced the enemy.

It was someone I thought I had recognized from school. He wasn’t ever in any of my classes, but his fluffy white hair was still an easily recognizable feature.

I felt Angie’s wing brush against my arm as she raised her hand up and waved to the boy. “Ya-ho~!”

The boy raised his hand slightly in return, a half smile creeping onto his face. A gray woollen mitten covered his hand.

I jumped when I felt Maki’s hand resting on my shoulders. She squeezed my shoulder, and I felt her claws threatening to pop out and stab me. “Get back,” she ordered me.

“What?” I exclaimed incredulously, pushing her arm away. “Why?”

“Do you want to die?” Maki’s eyes burned with anger, and a hint of concern.

Petrified, I shook my head no and stumbled to sit on a nearby piece of rubble. I kicked at a pebble as I rested my chin on my hand. Great, sidelined again.

Angie and Maki stood patiently until the boy was practically face to face with them. Maki glared up at him. “What’s your name?”

He smiled as he blatantly ignored her. Instead, he changed directions and made a beeline right for me.

I fumbled back, slipping across the wet surface of whatever I was sitting on and fell right off. I tried to flee, but he was already too close. He crouched over me, his creepy grin widening. “Hajime Hinata. It’s really you, Hajime! Right in front of my unworthy eyes! My name is Nagito, and I'm pleased to be at your service!”

I gave him a strange look in response as I attempted to push him away. “How do you know my name?”

“I know so much about you, Hajime,” the strange boy gushed. I thought I even saw drool dripping from his agape lips. ”Our new Savior has taken a liking to you recently. She made it her new goal to have you. We’ve all been watching you, learning everything we could about you!”

“Ok, what?” I asked, too bewildered and creeped out by this guy to really accept whatever nonsense he was babbling. No way someone would watch me. There was nothing special about me, especially when compared to literally anyone else in this building.

“Yes!” Nagito cried joyously. He reached out to touch me, and I smacked his hand away frantically. “We like you, Hajime. We like you a lot!” He let out a creepy, raspy laugh.

I tried to escape from this creep, but his gloved hand had a surprisingly firm grip on my wrist.

“She has big plans for you,” Nagito continued excitedly. “You’re going to become one of us! We’ll finally be one, together forever!” He cackled again and licked his heavily chapped lips. “You can leave everything behind, and join us as we-”

A large whirlwind tossed Nagito away from me. It took all my strength to keep myself from getting blown away as well. I closed my eyes as I gripped the rubble beneath me until my knuckles turned white.

Once the breeze ceased, I opened my eyes to watch Angie and Maki standing over me. Angie held an orange feather in her hands, that had quickly become damp from the rain. She grinned and gave me a friendly wave and comforting giggle. Meanwhile, Maki gave me an annoyed glare as she grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up. “You need to go. Now.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “No!” I wasn’t about to be cast away again. I wanted to help fight.

“You’re useless here!” Maki snapped, her eyes lighting up with the fire of her rage. “You’ll be helping us more if you just go away!”

I couldn’t figure out how to react for a minute. I knew she was right, but I didn’t want to accept that fact. I wanted to have the ability to help out, more than anything, but life is cruel and has tilted to heavily dote on the Quirks. People like me aren’t welcome in this world. That thought process has been known to me for such a long time, but this was the first time I had ever decided to agree. I lowered my head in shame. “...Yeah...okay...” I mumbled as I turned to run.

I didn’t get too far.

I had started off, but paused as the ground in front of me began to rumble. I watched in horror as the concrete tile began to split apart and fall into a bottomless pit. The surrounding area proceeded to crack apart and shift, trapping me in some kind of man made cage. I turned to watch Maki and Angie struggling to keep their balance as the floor shifted and wiggled beneath them. It reached the point where Angie was forced to grab Maki’s arms and fly themselves to a safer area.

I instinctively reached my arms over my head to protect myself as a larger piece of rubble planted itself on the top of the cage, leaving just a small window for me to watch Nagito lift his left hand off the ground and hastily grab the glove that lay abandoned at his side. He promptly covered his hand before making his way toward me.

I crept as far away from the window as the cage would allow me.

How did he do all of that? What kind of insane power does he have? How could a Quirk like that exist?

“Hajime,” Nagito glared at me sternly from the little window. “Now that you’re finally right here, I’m not going to let you leave me that easily.” I watched him peer over at something that I couldn’t see. “I just need to dispose of your protectors, and you’ll be ours forever!” I noticed him remove the glove from his murder hand, and he abandoned the window.

I was left oblivious about what would happen next. I rushed to the window. “Hey!” I screamed. “Hey! Stop! Get back here! If you want me, you’re gonna have to fight me, not them! They’re not a part of this!”

The fighting continued, and my anger turned to pleading very quickly. “Don’t hurt them, please! I’ll do whatever you want!”

Nobody heard me. They were all too busy battling. I myself could barely hear the muffled grunts over the sound of the heavy rainfall and the concrete that obstructed my senses.

Suddenly, I saw Nagito zoom passed my window in a frenzy of pale colors. He slammed onto the ground. I saw the concrete crack from the impact. He didn’t seem to feel any pain, but he didn’t get up. I saw a grin on his face, and, out of the corner of my eye, I watched him place his right palm onto the ground.

Angie and Maki drew closer to the boy, ready to kick him while he was down. Angie plucked a green feather from her wings, and Maki tapped her claws against her thighs in anticipation.

Nagito wasn’t worried. In fact, he was still laughing. “Brilliant!” He exclaimed happily. “What power! You two are very formidable, indeed! I’m honored that you would choose to fight someone as lowly as me!”

Angie and Maki shared a glance. Maki was the first to speak. “We’re not here to play a game. Now, I advise you give him back,” she pointed to me. “Unless you want to die.”

“I see no downside to that proposal,” Nagito retorted. “It would be an honor to die at your hands! But,” he paused dramatically. “Good luck taking Hajime.”

None of us had noticed the concrete hands that were growing from the ground until right as they clamped Maki and Angie’s feet. Neither were fast enough to escape.

Maki angrily grunted as she gave futile attempts to free herself. “What is this?”

Angie appeared awestruck at Nagito’s abilities. “Nya-haha! Atua has blessed you many a time!” She cheered. She proceeded to pluck an orange feather from her wings, and aimed at her cuffs. A large blast of air at close range shattered the concrete, allowing Angie to fly up before Nagito could trap her once more.

Angie swooped and grabbed at Nagito’s hair playfully. He halfheartedly swatted at her with his left hand. A sadistic grin stitched itself cleanly on his face. “Amazing,” I could only just hear him above the rain. “What amazing abilities! You were powerful enough to defeat someone as pitiful as me. I admire you.”

He stepped backward to avoid Angie’s attacks. As she was about to pull another feather, he made his move. He quickly placed his left hand on the floor. The ground rumbled beneath him as I noticed a tunnel carve itself under him. He glanced at me once more. “I’ll be back for you soon enough, Hajime!” He gave me a friendly wave as he disappeared under the rubble.

Angie floated back onto the ground. After she freed me and Maki, we reconvened near the exit of the Downpour Zone. “He got away,” Maki mumbled, crestfallen by her failure.

“Yeah...” I agreed dismally.

“Atua has blessed us all with a glorious battle!” Angie cheered obliviously, cupping her hands together in front of her. “We were fortunate enough to be allowed to face a foe of his likes and survive with barely a scratch! Praise to Atua!”

Maki ignored Angie’s babbling, and instead confronted me. “What was he saying to you earlier? Did he mention their plans at all?”

I thought back to what already seemed like an eternity ago, when Nagito had me trapped in his clutches. “Uhhhh, nooooooo,” I answered awkwardly. “He was just talking nonsense. I couldn’t even understand him.”

Maki nodded. “I see.” She turned to the doorway of the Downpour Zone, which was now within arms reach. “For now, I suggest we return to the center room from earlier. That’s where everyone else is most likely to go.” Maki’s ear flicked as she spoke, and her soaked tail dragged across the ground.

“Agreed,” I nodded.

“Aye!” Angie cheered.

And we were off.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

~~Ruins Zone~~  
Ft. Shuichi Saihara

Oh, God, this is all my fault, isn’t it?

I sat immobile and wide-eyed as buildings and trees toppled before me.

We were already trapped in a surprise battle against a duo of henchmen. Tsumugi had already tied one to a light post, but it unfortunately didn’t affect her Quirk in the slightest. The girl was able to project realistic images into the physical plane. They were fragile, but were always enough to cause us great confusion.

The other girl, in the meantime, had the ability to summon zombified people to do her bidding. Nobody could touch her.

I had to crawl away frantically as one of the zombies crept toward me. I scrambled to my feet and barely managed to hide away behind a toppled door.

Coincidentally, Rantaro had been running past when he spotted me. He skid to a halt and hid with me. “Hey.” He nodded to me, as cool as ever.

“Hi,” I mumbled cautiously in reply. “Quite the situation we’ve gotten ourselves into.” As I said this, another building toppled nearby, and I heard Iruma screech in frustration. The wind from the collapse caused us to be further pressed against the door, and my hat flew away.

“Yep,” Rantaro sighed. He looked around us for any danger. “We should go get help. We can’t fight them all. We’re gonna be fighting a losing battle if we keep going without backup.”

“That’s a bit pessimistic, isn’t it?”

He chuckled. “Maybe, but we should still play it safe. I hope for us all to get out of this safely.” His smile quickly disappeared once he laid eyes on me. He squinted at my forehead. “What’s that?”

I touched my forehead, in the spot where Yasuke attacked me. “Oh, I didn’t realize it left a mark. It’s nothing, it’s just-”

“You’re working with them, aren’t you?” He asked. To my surprise, he didn’t sound angry or anything of the likes. He just seemed curious.

“I-I beg your pardon?” I stammered, hesitant to let anything slip out.

“Don’t worry, you don’t need to explain,” He brushed away the bangs from his forehead to reveal an identical mark. “I kinda went through the same thing.”

“Y-you!” I was shocked by this new development. “You’re with them too?”

“Not anymore.” He smoothly replaced the bits of hair. “I may have a mark, but I’m not a bad guy. I was able to get out of it once I realized what they were trying to do. Isn’t that what happened to you?”

I looked away, embarrassed.

He seemingly put two and two together rather quickly. “Oh.” He turned away from me. His brow furrowed in concentration. Then, “You should go.”

“What?”

“You should go. Go back to the school and get help. You don’t want to be here if things go wrong.”

I sighed. “You’re probably right. But-”

“Miu can cause a distraction with her steam. You can escape then. Try not to be seen by anyone.”

I nodded.

Rantaro travelled through the shadows to Iruma and whispered in her ear. She was quick to morph into translucent steam. He nodded to me, and I stepped back from the door. I walked slowly, then began to run. I needed to remember to thank Rantaro again when the whole mess was over.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

~~Flood Zone~~  
Ft. Kiibo

...SYSTEMS RELOADING…

.  
.  
.  
.

...SYSTEMS RELOADED…  
.  
.

My eyes opened. I blinked a few times to accustom myself to the sudden shift in atmosphere. My core reactor was quick to scan my vitals and my limbs, in order to ensure that everything was present and in working order.

I organized myself into a sitting position and continued to look around. I hadn’t realized it before, but three of my fellow classmates had been sent here as well. It was Himiko, Gonta, and Kokichi. My retinal analyzer examined their vitals just to check that they were alright as well. None of them had woken up thus far.

Upon further examination, I realized that I was on a boat. I didn’t often go on boats--due to my mechanical nature--so this was sure to be an exciting adventure.

My head was pounding, but one of the wires in my brain began to produce a light sedative, which enabled me to move around freely. Admittedly, I wasn’t too familiar with how that worked, but Iruma always assured me not to worry about it. The mechanics of my body would always be her expertise.

I laid my arms over the railing of the boat. I rose up just high enough to look down at the water. I took in the rhythmic pattern of the water. It was a beautiful, calculated, loop of a pattern.

It took approximately two minutes and eighteen seconds for the others to begin waking up as well. “Nyeh?” Himiko grumbled. “Where are we?”

“Gonta think we on boat.”

I hadn’t expected the falling sensation. According to my split second calculations, someone had pushed me over the edge of the boat, and was now holding me by my feet. “AaaaaAAaaAaAaaaaA!”

“Ni-shishishi~!” Kokichi cackled. “Wow, Kiiboy, I didn’t realize you could scream like that!” He gently shook my legs around, which in turn sent my head wiggling around fearfully close to the surface of the water.

Just as quickly as I had been pushed, a new set of strong hands pulled me up to safety. My brain was overrun with adrenaline, so I didn’t have the opportunity to thank Gonta. “Ouma no kill friend!” He scolded the boy.

Ouma grinned and gave a nonchalant shrug. “Aww, I was just kidding! Ni-shishishi~!”

“Why are we all arguing?” Himiko asked in a bored voice. She stuck her finger in her ear as she continued. “Shouldn’t we figure out what’s going on?”

“Himikooooo!” Ouma pouted loudly. “Isn’t it obvious? The villains teleported us onto a booooooaaaaat! They separated us on purpose! They’re gonna try to kill uuuuuuuuuuusss!”

“We don’t know that they wish to kill us,” I corrected. “All we know for sure is that we are in the Flood Zone and that we need to get off of this boat as soon as possible. According to what we were told, the lake we are on will overflow at an unknown point in time.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa????” Ouma reacted as if he hadn’t heard those details earlier. “See? I knew they were trying to kill us! Putting the ones that are useless in water in the Flood Zone! They want us gone!” Ouma proceeded to cry. I was unable to determine whether the tears were real or what were called ‘alligator tears.’

“Oh? They’re actually smart.”

The strange voice startled us. After a moment of searching, I was the first to discover the source. There were three strangers on a strip of land close to the boat. The one who had spoken was a tall tanned girl with untamed brown hair. She had a ravenous glint in her eyes as she stared at us. She spat on the ground as she turned to converse with her colleagues.

With my camera feature, along with my access to the school’s student files, I managed to profile the trio as members of the infamous class 1-C.

I shared my findings with my classmates.

“Class 1-C?” Gonta repeated. “Gonta think 1-C disappear?”

“Ngh...maybe they ran off with that girl?” Himiko yawned.

“Who cares what happened to them?!” Ouma yelled with a new energy. “Kiibo, do you know their Quirks?”

I ran another quick analysis. “Akane Owari can contort her body. Teruteru Hanamura can create food from air. Then-”

“Then if you know their powers, you can go beat them up!” Ouma cheered. Suddenly, he glared powerfully at me. “Right?” He inquired in an intimidating low voice.

“Most of my defensive attachments have either been removed or do not work. I am also unable to battle near or in water for fear 9f rust or death.”

“Oh nooooooo,” Ouma rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms, peeved. “But come on, Kiiboy, you know you’ll do anything I ask.”

“They’re coming closer,” Himiko mumbled as she crouched lower behind the barricade.

I peered over the railing to confirm Himiko’s claims. Indeed, the ones identified as Akane and Teruteru were using BkdH@!c ’s body as a flotation device to paddle closer to the humble ship we sat upon.

Once they were close enough, Akane leaped right onto the dock. She twisted and bent in awkward directions as she struck at Gonta and Himiko.

Himiko slyly dodged and lazily held up her wand. She sent a tennis ball sized fireball in her opponent’s direction. Akane dodged by wrapping her body around the railing.

I am quickly blindsided by a hit to my head, knocking me onto my hands and knees. My left eyeball dislodged and flickered black, rendering me unable to identify my enemy and their weapon.

I’m struck again, this time to my arm. Teruteru held a frying pan, and followed through with a backhand to my side. I felt wires underneath my skin convulsing and fraying, and I realize that I need to fight to survive.

I managed to punch my opponent in the stomach and the neck with my one good hand. I also fire a BB from my right foot that hits his shoulder.

I coughed, and accidentally spit out a nail from inside my body. Iruma will not be pleased.

Out of the corner of my functioning eye, I watched Ouma stand and crack his knuckles.

It all happened too quickly.

As though a switch flipped inside them, Akane and Teruteru dived off of the boat and greeted their partner. The three of them proceeded to hold each other’s heads under the water. Their limbs failed wildly until their lives faded away.

To my utter dismay, Himiko and Gonta followed. Gonta immediately sunk, so I didn’t have to witness his suffering, but Himiko struggled greatly.

“Nyeh! Nyeh!” She cried as she raised her arm toward me. It was as though she didn't want to do it, but her body was forcing her head down.

I wanted to help her, but neither of my hands were capable of gripping and holding weight. Eventually, she too stopped moving.

When it was all over, I overheard Ouma mumble to himself. “Aw geez, she was more resilient than I thought. Maybe I should’ve kept her around.”

“You did this?” I hurried to process his statement. “Did you just murder those people?”

“Guilty!” Ouma giggled before turning serious once more. “C’mon, what else could I have done?” He whined. “I can’t fight! And I was scared for you! I didn’t want you to get hurt!”

“But...you have shown no capabilities of empathy in the past,” my mind was reeling; it was overloaded with emotion.

“Are you really that dumb, Kiiboy?” He rushed to me and gripped my shoulders tightly. “Do you really not know when someone loves you? I couldn't bear to see you in pain! It doesn’t matter who else gets hurt, as long as you are safe! It was the only way!” He began to shake me back and forth. “Don’t you get it? I need you, Kiibo!”

It was then when I was hit with a pang of realization. “Is this another lie?”

The shaking stopped. “Maybe. But don’t focus on that now. We need to leave before anyone finds out about this.” He gestured to the bodies floating face down, bobbing on the waves.

I didn’t want to leave. My mind sought to understand the situation, and to make sense of Ouma’s psychobabble. Unfortunately, I was no longer in control of my body as I followed Ouma.

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Our shoes slapped against the drenched slabs of concrete as we hurried to the exit. The only noise came from the storm beating down on us. We were too busy protecting our faces with our arms to properly process anything else.

We closed in on the tunnel that would protect us as we reached the exit. Still, the three of us were grimly silent.

I grimace as I think about how the two girls must feel about me now. I had screwed up massively in that battle. I just kept getting in the way while they tried to come in and fix everything.

I’ve only further proved how useless I am. Wonderful. There goes any chance to become the Ultimate Hope.

The tunnel gradually grew darker and stuffier as we approached the exit. We soon came to realize that the metal doors had been toppled and replaced with a different, much heavier object.

Maki reached forward and tapped her claws against the object. “It feels like rock. A boulder?” Her head cocked to the side questioningly, and her tail flicked behind her.

“Eh?” Angie also peered at the boulder in confusion. Despite the limited space, she was still able to extend her wings and flutter to the upper edge of the massive rock. “How did it get here?” She perched delicately on the tip and gazed down at us.

“Probably that scrawny kid,” I stood a few yards away. “Mitarai, I think his name was. He has a teleportation Quirk, so he probably put it here.”

I spent a long few minutes watching as Maki and Angie analyzed the rock with painstaking precision.

With a determined grunt, I rolled up my sleeves to the elbows and approached the boulder myself.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Maki peered over my shoulder with a cruel glare.

I laid my palms on the rock and let one foot fall behind the other. “There are three important traits that every true hero has: passion, strength,” I grunted as I began to push on the boulder. “And never showing hesitation.”

“Do you mean to say that you are a true hero?” I could sense her skepticism. “I thought that true heroes were the ones that saved lives.”

“I mean, I hope to be a true hero someday,” I struggled to really form words correctly; I was more focused in the rock. “With a lot of hard work. All heroes start somewhere, y’know? Might as well start here.”

“I see.” I felt her tail swipe against my back as she turned away. Overhead, Angie followed.

I continued pushing on the boulder. This was finally my chance! I could finally begin to prove myself as worthy of being a hero, just like everyone else. For the first time all day, I had truly forgotten my worries and pain, just for the flicker of excitement.

It didn’t last, though. I soon felt a force against my back that pushed both me and the boulder out of the way. I fell onto my back, staring up at Maki and Angie. The two both wore pitying smirks, and Angie held an orange feather.

They both offered their hands to me, but I refused, slapping them away as I pushed myself up. I don’t need help from anyone. They may not realize it, but I’m not completely defenseless.

I ducked away from a piece of flying shrapnel as I attempted to process the scene before me.

Already, intense battles had broken out all over the central room. Explosions and rubble were flying just about everywhere.

The only relatively calm space was in the very center of the room. It was an eerie eye of a storm, where the main perpetrator stood.

Her eyes were glued to the floor, and she had a ragged smile spread across her face. Her shoulders were slumped forward, and her legs were bent slightly at the knees.

Her hands hung uselessly in front of her. It appeared as though they had been cut off, and poorly reattached. Patches of decay could be seen near the crude stitching, along with dried blood and what looked like muscle tissue.

Without missing a beat, I ran toward her. I didn’t have time to hesitate. I was overwhelmed with emotions that I had been trying to ignore. I didn’t understand why, but she was the reason that my best friend was missing, and that many people were dead.

As I came closer, she noticed me and glared up at me with the same crazed expression as before. I could her excited breathing from where I stood. “Is it really you?” She stepped closer to examine me. “It is! I’m so excited to meet you!”

“Me?” I raised an eyebrow and pointed to myself. “Why would you want to meet me?”

“I know aaaaaaaallll about you, Hajime!” She giggled. “I know your little secret with the headmaster!”

A pit formed in my stomach. “Oh really? If you actually knew me, you would know that I’m not worth your time!”

Junko stepped closer to me once more. I in turn took a step backward. “I know what you’re going through, because I was in your shoes before! I once had the power that you crave. But your little headmaster took it all away from me!” Her demeanor quickly changed to something rageful and violent. She lifted her arm, and her limp hand smacked me in the face like a fish flopping around wildly on the ground. “I’m going to get my powers back, I just need you out of the way!”

She tried to slap me again, but I was able to dodge this time. “Are you insane?! I'm no threat to you! There’s no way I’ll receive the Quirk at this rate! It’ll probably go to someone else, so you can just leave us all alone!”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself!” She swung her leg out and swiped my feet from under me. As soon as I fell, she rested her stiletto-clad foot on my chest. “I thought the same thing, too! It’s funny how things work out!” She leaned closer to me. “I should just kill you now, and all your little friends while I’m at it!”

No sooner did she say that that she was swept away by a flying Angie. She lifted Junko high into the air. The girl flailed and helplessly tried to free herself.

“We won’t go down so easily,” Maki commented as she grabbed my arm and forcefully pulled me up. I brushed off my shirt and nodded a thank you to her.

From up in the sky, Junko shouted. “Go! Now!”

A figure was quick to emerge from behind a cloud of dust. My eyes widened in shock once I saw Kazuichi stroll closer, crowbar in hand. “Kazuichi?”

He took a step back in surprise, and his grip on the crowbar loosened. He refused to make eye contact.

I ran a few steps toward him, then stopped abruptly. His jumpsuit was covered in bloodstains, and he wore a microwave door as a chestplate. My heart sunk.

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[DISCLAIMER: This scene could be seen as disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.]

Bang!

The crowbar was so heavy. My knees were shaky, and the emptiness I felt inside was scary.

Scraps looked up at me. Even as a bot, he seemed to feel pain. The body I had made for him long ago barely had a dent. His head was a lampshade, but I could tell that he was confused and scared, just like me. The creaking sound of his cord neck moving sounded too similar to a real dog’s whimpers.

Dammit! Why does he have to make this so difficult?!

Bang! Bangbangbangbang!

My anger fueled me to strike again, and again. The mechanical creature weighed pitifully beneath me. Scraps’ tattered body crawled toward me. His lampshade head rested on my feet, as the rest of his bulky body wrapped itself around me. His wire tail thumped hopefully.

Bang!

I couldn’t stop. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. It would be worth it in the long run. All the pain I have been subjected to so far, it’ll all go away, and I’ll be free to be a hero by my own terms. That’s what she promised me, right?

Bang!

Almost there. It’s almost done. Oil was spattered on the grass. Scraps was growing weakly. His dented microwave door shuddered as he tried to move. It resembled a ragged breath from beneath a shattered rib cage and punctured lungs.

Tears welled up in my eyes. Why didn’t I enjoy this. I tried to force a laugh, coughed out a laugh, but, in the end, I couldn’t stop crying. Scraps must be in pain. I’m no better than the ones who hurt me.

But I'm in too deep. No one would understand. They would all hate me if they saw me like this. But I just can’t stand the pain anymore!

Bang!

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I felt nauseous, and I could barely stand. “Did you kill Scraps?”

Kazuichi looked to the ground. I watched tears fall from his eyes and stain his clothes and shoes. “They’re all gone,” he whimpered.

“Why?” The lump in my throat made it hard to speak. “Why did you do it?”

“No,” he blubbered. The crowbar fell out of his hand as he reached to wipe his eyes. “No, you wouldn’t understand!”

“Then make me understand!” I shouted, taking another step closer. “Please, Kazuichi! Let me help you! We can make this all this suffering go away! Just come with me! I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise!”

It almost seemed like he was about to accept. But it was too late. I saw it happen, but I didn’t have the time to react. I hesitated for only a second, but that was too long. I could’ve done something, I could’ve prevented it! But all I could do was scream.

NOOOOO!!!

End of Season 1

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